Broken Glass of a Reaper's Eyes
by Salem Hazel
Summary: Liz and Patty, vicious drifters, abandoned by their mother, fighting to stay alive. Death the Kid, a young shinigami with a firm belief that when his world achieves balance, he can finally fill the void eating away at him. When the three are brought together by the reaper's obsession, and the sisters' recklessness, they may begin to see that there is never one solution to pain.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Devils and Gods**

Demons, thieves, petty crooks, all these names Liz and Patty, the Devils of Brooklyn, where called by others. Liz didn't call herself these. She called her and her little sister survivors. She stole, mugged, cheated, and killed… anything for her and Patty to stay alive. The first few weeks out on the streets, they had almost frozen to death, hungry, weak, and not enough money to buy a shirt sleeve big enough for Patty. Liz had flat out refused to be like her mother, a slave to men and their money; she wouldn't, she couldn't do that to Patty. What truly made her stick up the hardship and the hunger wasn't her pride, or stubbornness, it was Patty. Anything for her little sister, always laughing no matter what. The little sister that gave her the will to survive. The little sister she would give anything for. When they first found out they had weapon blood, it was like a whole new door opened. Liz didn't need to sell drugs, or risk her life getting them. No more waiting for hours just for the right moment to grab the loaf of bread without getting caught. They had a weapon, a strength now, and they used it. It was so much less of a hassle to mug people with Patty in gun form in their face, rather than trying to get close enough with a knife (and that was hard in her neighborhood), and so much easier to point a gun at the clerk's face and race off with bags of food instead of one tiny loaf that no one would notice. Life had taken an immediate turn for the better that day, and today was no less different, leaning on the street corner with a cigarette in her hand, for she had a little extra money from last time. She watched Patty as she sat on the sidewalk, making shadow puppets on the pavement and humming a happy tune. Patty, who could stay strong, laugh in the face of anything, who stayed by her sister all this time. Liz felt warmth and love for her little sister rise up in her, but it cut off abruptly, replaced by a hungry look, Patty getting the same one. A kid, no more than 16, maybe 15, was strolling down the sidewalk across from her, and by the looks of him, he was up to his little neck in money. She took another drag, before grinning at Patty and raising her hand to catch her in demon gun form, carefully holding her where she wouldn't be visible until she was against the brat's head. She put the cigarette in her mouth and made a move to cross the street, but to her surprise, she found the brat was already across, and ten feet in front of her, walking slowly, dragging his feet. "_Weird, I didn't see him cross…_" She quickly pushed the thought out of her head. All the more convenient, she told herself and she began to follow him. It wasn't that hard to catch up with him, he was going at the speed of a damn tortoise, and she barely had to take a few quick strides before Patty was up against his head, her laughter only audible to Liz.

"Don't move." She said in the threatening growl she had practiced for occasions like these. Normally, kids his age would crap themselves, but he hardly reacted, instead moving to turn around.

"You want your head blown off?"

She snarled, pressing Patty harder against his head, irritated that he didn't seem fazed.

"My apologies, I just prefer to see the faces of those pressing weapons against my head."

_Wait. Faces?!_ Did this kid know about Patty? Gritting her teeth harder on her cigarette, she cleared her head, _Relax, there's no way he could know about her. Probably just his way of talking. _She smirked, giving a throaty chuckle,

"You got a lot of nerve, for some kid who's gonna' get his head blown off at a false move."

"I take that as a complement." He said smoothly.

Liz growled inwardly. His voice wasn't like rich, spoiled boys were supposed to sound, it was smooth, slightly deep, and held something that a kid at his age shouldn't have. Maturity? Wisdom? She couldn't pin it down; the words just escaped her reach. That made her even more annoyed; she didn't like it when things escaped her. She shoved her gun into his head, directing him into the alley,

"I don't care what you take it as, brat; you're doing as you're ordered." To her chagrin, she swore she heard a small chuckle,

"You finding this funny punk?"

"Of course not. I _am_ doing as I'm told."

He muttered quietly as he went into the alley as she directed. The gun gleamed and Patty flashed into view, grinning insanely,

"_Hey sis, he's not scared of you."_

"_Oh he's terrified, trust me._" She thought back, although more to herself than Patty. Indeed, he didn't seem very scared as she directed him into the alley, pressing him into a wall.

"Turn around, and shovel your cash right here." She snarled, holding out her left hand, "Do it, unless you want your head blown off."

She prodded his back with the gun. The brat heaved a sigh, as if she had just forced him to clean his room (which he's probably never done in his life, she thought), turned around, and she nearly gasped in surprise. The first things she saw were his eyes. They were golden, no, not even. They were _two_ colored, the outer rim being a bright yellow, the same color of the sunflower petals at that florist's shop down the street. The inner rim outside of his pupil was the color of the caramel at the candy shop. _That can't be natural_, she thought. Was there some kind of rich thing where you could change your eyes to _that_? She highly doubted it, and even if they could, no one could (or would) possibly make their eyes a shade of yellow those colors. Tearing her eyes away from his, his hair was the next thing that struck her. It was almost completely jet-black, save for three white stripes going horizontally across the right side of his hair, stopping right in the middle. You couldn't dye hair like that. It wasn't possible, and even if it was, these where equally spaced, stopped right in the middle, and never shifted, like normal hair did. The last thing she noticed about him was how pale he was. It was not 'haven't got enough sun' pale, or even natural pale. His skin was a sickly, almost snow pale, border lining grey. It was almost ghostly, (Liz felt a shiver down her spine) otherworldly. Out of place, especially in a city like Brooklyn. What snapped her out of her stupor was the sound of Patty laughing her head off, and she realized her jaw had fell open slightly, and she was gawking like an idiot. The punk himself was smirking, hardly visible, but she saw his mouth curve ever so slightly upward, however he pushed it a bit further, raising a finger to her lower jaw, and, to her embarrassment and discomfort, snapped it shut for her. The nerve of the brat! Without even thinking, she raised Patty behind her shoulder to strike him as hard as she could.

"I really wouldn't recommend-"

Satisfaction coursed through her as she struck him. Wouldn't recommend that would he? He was a rich brat after all! Her satisfaction however, died as quickly as it had come, replaced by utter shock. He hadn't even flinched, not even a change in facial expression. She saw the spot on his cheek where a large bruise was forming, black and blue discoloring that ghostly white face, and a bit of pleasure came back at that. Smirking, she shoved the gun at his chest and growled mockingly,

"Didn't your mommy ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?"

_Probably taught him nothing that that_, she thought, but she thought she saw something flicker, not even for a second, behind those emotionless yellow eyes. Regret? It couldn't be.

"Now fork over the money before-"

She stopped in midsentence, surprise clogging her throat and head, forcing her eyes wide open, her jaw dropping, and the cigarette falling from her mouth. The bruise on his cheek was receding. Little by little, red replaced the black and blue, as a cup of water spilling over a flat surface, and when the red had taken over, even that began to disappear, the ghostly white replacing the red as it had replaced the bruise, as if nothing at all happened. Not even a slight swollen cheek. She might as well have never hit him. Her hand holding the gun began to shake badly, and she was sure her eyes were taking up the majority of her face. Even Patty was silent, staring intently where the bruise should have been.

"H-hey..." She stammered, forcing words out of her throat, voice trembling, "Who… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

She yelled, backing up, stilling pointing the gun straight at his chest with both hands now, to keep them from shaking. The boy looked guilty, as if he had just revealed a dreadful secret (which, as far as Liz was concerned, was exactly the case),

"Just, wait, please don't be alarmed." He was talking gently, as if with a wild animal, "If you just listen, I can explain, I don't want to hurt you two-"

"LIAR!" Liz screeched.

Yellow-Eyes looked surprised, or maybe a bit confused, "Huh?"

"What are you, a monster?! A ghost?!"

Liz trembled at the thought, a few wild thought racing through her head like _Get a hold of yourself, he's not anything like that, you're not scared of him,_ but her panic was overwhelming her, especially at 'you two'. He knew about Patty! Yellow-Eyes merely raised an eyebrow.

"I assure you, I am neither of those, if you'd just let me explain-"

"GET AWAY!"

With that, she shot him. Multiple times, and in the chest. And he barely winced. He grimaced a little, but that was it. Liz couldn't take anymore at that. He was immune to her wavelengths. He healed almost immediately. She screamed at the top of her lungs. He was definitely some kind of monster, trying to take Patty away. She wouldn't let that happen, she couldn't. She ran away at full speed, holding Patty as tightly as she could and ignoring that thing's calls that he could explain. He was lying, it was the only explanation.

/\(/*\)/\

"DAMN IT!"

Kid yelled as soon as they vanished. Why did he have to do that? He cursed his obsession with orderliness and preciseness. He just couldn't stand that look of utter surprise on the girl's face. He had to fix it, to that firm, symmetrical look, even if it was of malice. Damn it, damn it, damn it! It'd take him weeks to find them again; it took him two months alone to track those too on Father's orders. He couldn't go after them on Beelzebub, not in the state that girl was in. She had been so frightened of his Reaper Healing, yet somehow had the guts to do all those things for her sister. _Probably thought I was after Patty_, it was a reasonable explanation. Sighing, he summoned Beelzebub and stepped on. A thought made the wheels turn to rockets, another made it boost, hovering up into the air. Well, at least he could track their soul wavelengths. Now that he had been that close, he could probably pinpoint them relatively easily, however, getting close enough to talk to them was a problem. Considering he stuck out in a crowd like a sore thumb, plus the chances of them trying to mug him again where minimal, this encounter wasn't really that much of a plus, aside from he knew what the demon guns looked like. Gorgeous, in every way imaginable, and if it was true what the rumors said, and they were really twin demon guns, then he'd have his ideal partners right there. The problem was now, convincing them. _Ah well, I'm sure if I can talk sense into them next time, they'll be fine._ Perhaps some food, or shelter, to convince them he meant well. Sighing, he flew over Brooklyn. Indeed, their souls where fairly easy to track, he could pick them out now, even though he made no effort to head for them. Maybe when they'd calmed down a bit, he would come back for him. _Well, Kishin eggs don't hunt themselves,_ he thought as he stopped the board, hovering right over the red soul, which stood out easily. _So much easier with a weapon though,_ as he urged Beelzebub downward to collect the egg.

/\(/*\)/\

Liz was running. Patty gripped in her hand, she stole a glance behind her, only to be shot at from the side. _ Damn_, she quickly ducked into an alley between two warehouses. Only a few days after escaping that monster thing, she had received an invitation to join a local gang. Of course, she had refused, she couldn't trust anyone, much less the criminal organization, and that didn't make them very happy. In fact, quite the opposite, she had barely escaped with her life. A week later, they had caught up, and they had brought reinforcements. Panting, she bolted into a warehouse, hiding behind the wall and hearing the gunmen running past. They were safe.

"Got you."

Liz felt a sharp intake of breath drawn into her throat as rifle-wielding men emerged from everywhere, forming a semicircle around her and Patty, leaving no escape options. She felt herself beginning to shake. They were going to die. There were no escape options, and even if she were to throw Patty over them, Patty would hardly reach two steps before they shot her down. No, she wouldn't do that. A glance from Patty's reflection told her Patty was thinking the same thing. Gritting her teeth, she raised her little sister.

"Going to fight us babe?"

A mocking voice sneered. Liz gritted her teeth. She'd teach him to call her 'babe'. She'd take as many out as many as possible before she died. She'd show them that the Devils of Brooklyn didn't go without a fight. She'd-

"DEATH GOD MARTIAL ART- STANCE OF CRIME."

A yell rang out, echoing throughout the warehouse. Why did that voice sound familiar… One of the thugs turned around, growling out in a gruff voice,

"What the-"

What happened next, neither Liz nor Patty could remember clearly, or even begin to describe, it happened so quickly. All she could really place where a few yells, and some gunshots and a cry of alarm, and next thing she knew the thugs where all stacked up, every single one in a neat stack, and standing on top of that stack, a smug look in those yellow eyes, was-

"YOU?!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Surprising Offer**

"YOU?!"

Liz was staring at the kid, and the neatly stacked pile of thugs he was standing on (that wasn't strange at all) with her mouth open, eyes popping out of her head. Several emotions collided in her chest and mind, utter shock, fear, and just plain stupor fighting to express themselves all at once, leaving her mouth open and trying to decide which to go with; screaming or just keeping on gawking like a trout gasping for air. She decided to go with the third option.

"Who… how… you…"

She stopped, no longer able to force intelligible words out, a massive boulder seeming to plant itself firmly in her windpipe, barely allowing her to breath. Normal people just didn't take out at least twenty men in a matter of seconds; much less organize them in a stack when they were finished! It didn't happen, not here, she screamed in her head, not anywhere. _But, _she thought, her mind involuntarily flashing back to the incident a week ago, _he isn't exactly normal is he?_ Clearing her head slightly, and coming back to some state of awareness, she realized Patty had transformed back into human form from her hand and was looking at the kid in awe, as if she had just met her hero, or prince charming. She quickly ran through several possible methods to escape the situation, but then, eyeing the pile of men underneath the punk's feet, she doubted they'd be in the least effective, and she didn't want to waste her time trying to test them. Finally collecting herself, forcing a deep intake of breath, she pushed out words in the form of questions, trying to control her shaking,

"Who… what the hell are you? People don't just take out twenty men like that, so I'm guessing you aren't any people we know of 'round here."

She growled, trying to sound rough and suspicious, and praying she had been able to at least cover up the fear, and that he didn't hear her heart trying its absolute hardest to pound its way out of her own chest, as if struggling to burst out of its owner and run for its life out of the door and back to the city. The yellow eyed teen merely smiled. It was a genuine smile, almost reassuring to Liz if she hadn't just watched him beat twenty men unconscious in less than ten seconds flat with no apparent inconvenience.

"I am a shinigami, and please don't be afraid, I've been tracking you for quite a while on my father's orders."

He answered. His tone was quite different this time, instead of the bored tone with the dash of sarcasm, it was rather excited; it could even perhaps be described as quite pleased, and his yellow eyes had lost their smugness, and where replaced by a fairly wild anticipation, as if he had be looking forward to meeting them. Liz couldn't say she returned those feelings, especially after hearing that he had been tracking them for "quite a while", which irked her even more that he had probably been planning for her and Patty to mug him, much to her chagrin.

"Shinigami?"

Wary, she thought over the plausibility of what he had just claimed. Indeed, she had heard of a certain shinigami in charge of a school for weapons, known as Lord Death, but this kid didn't fit the description at all. Perhaps there was more than one of them, maybe even a tremendous amount? It was possible, and based off what she just saw, and the events of last week, it wasn't impossible that he was indeed telling the truth. Which posed a rather large question,

"Why have you been tracking us? What do you want from me and Patty?"

She growled, suddenly protective of her little sister, who was still gazing at the guy in complete awe. What did he want? His smile faltered slightly at this, and his way of speaking got a bit more solemn,

"Well, as of late, you and your sister have been dangerously close to evolving into Kishin eggs."

He nodded, as if that mostly cleared things up. Liz merely looked her confusion. What the hell was a Kishin? And why were Patty and her "dangerously close to evolving into them"? As if reading her thoughts, he continued in a more businesslike tone,

"A Kishin egg is what a soul becomes when they've consumed too many innocent souls." He grimaced slightly as he moved on, "In the event you two did become Kishin eggs, I would have been forced to execute you immediately, and collect your souls so as to prevent the full evolution."

He winced slightly, as if expecting her reaction. Liz felt the fear boiling down, giving way to anger. Execute them would he? She clenched her jaw, acknowledging the fact that if he indeed wanted to execute them, he could very quickly and effectively (her eyes flicking unintentionally, again, to the pile of unconscious thugs underneath the so called "Shinigami").

"So what? Your job is to prevent us from turning into Kinshi eggs or whatever?" She asked suspiciously, "By the way you said it, doesn't seem you have any problem with bumping off anyone else turning into one. What's so special 'bout us?"

At this question, which she intended to make the shinigami uncomfortable, his smile returned, even wider than before, his eyes lighting right up,

"I have a simple proposition for you and your sister." He turned to Patty as he said this, then back to her, "I seek to create the perfect world, where everything is perfectly balanced and in symmetrical order. It would therefore make sense that I must have perfectly symmetrical weapons as my right and left hands."

Liz didn't know where this was going, but she felt a growing sense of foreboding in her chest, as a possibility occurred to her. _Don't be ridiculous, there's no way_, she told herself. No, things like that didn't happen, especially not to her and Patty. The shinigami boy continued, his tone becoming happier, more enthusiastic,

"I think you two are beautiful. Perfectly symmetrical, and ideal as my weapons. If you would consent, I will happily let you live with me, there's plenty of room for each of you to have rooms and explore."

Liz felt herself gaping, and this time, she didn't bother to correct herself. This couldn't be happening. Rich, handsome (yes, she may not have liked him very much, but she certainly had no problem distinguishing him in the looks department, and by no means was he unattractive) boys just didn't pick girls off the streets and offer for them to live in their big mansions. It may happen in fairy tales, but by no means did it happen in real life, much less to the devils of Brooklyn. She closed her mouth, replacing the shock with a wary glower,

"Alright shinigami. So what's the catch?"

She growled. The boy looked surprised, than slightly confused, raising an eyebrow,

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Oh come on!" She half yelled, exasperated, "Guys like you don't just swoop down to save some random girls on the street from thugs than offer to let them live in a mansion! Stuff doesn't work that way, this isn't some kind of fairy tale!"

She glared, clenching her fists. The confusion on the boy's face was gone, replaced by a rather condescending look,

"I am well aware of that thank you. Believe me; I'd know if we were words printed on paper." He raised both eyebrows, "Your point? If you are refusing my offer, I recommend you two refrain from killing anyone else. It'd be a shame to destroy such symmetry."

"I… I didn't say that." She growled, casting a small glance at Patty. Patty was still staring at the boy, transfixed, but at Liz's look, she turned to her and smiled, speaking in a rather loud whisper,

"Sissy, can we?"

Liz softened at that. It didn't matter if this didn't happen, as she thought about this opportunity for Patty. She could eat as much as she wanted, real rich food, not the stuff her sister stole, and she could wear real pretty clothes instead of the crap they wore now. Slowly mulling it over in her head, a new prospect appeared in her mind. Yes, she'd cooperate, be the kid's good little weapon. Let him trust her. _Bet's he's never had to work in his life_, she thought resentfully. He'd see. She'd show him, no one came out on top when they crossed her. She'd wring him out; take everything he had, let him see what it was like. She smirked, turning to him, and attempting a winning smile,

"Sure kid, I'll be your weapon."

She hoped she sounded convincing, but she doubted it since the guy merely raised an eyebrow, changing quickly to a wide grin. There was still a calculating look in his eyes, but before she could think on it, her thoughts were interrupted by Patty's cheers,

"YAY, SISSY AGGREED, PATTY AND SISSY CAN GO BE WEAPONS."

While Patty was jumping around, she turned back to the guy, who was watching Patty with a strange look, as if he had never seen something quite like her before. Raising an eyebrow, she spoke the question that had been on her mind for quite a bit, trying to smile as she asked,

"I think we'd have a bit of a problem being meister and weapon if we don't know each other's names."

She chuckled weakly, making a weak attempt at humor. Maybe that'd get him a bit less wary of her, the last thing she needed was him on her case. How'd she wring him out then? The boy looked at Patty for a second longer, before turning to her with a small sigh, as if reluctant to tell her. She nearly sniffed. She'd just watched him beat up twenty thugs in seconds; hell nothing could surprise her now.

"Death the Kid."

He muttered with a grimace. Liz stood corrected. That couldn't be his name. Probably just a gang name for him, a sort of nickname with his friends (if he had any, she thought sarcastically). Laughing uncertainly, she tried again,

"No, I mean your real name, kid."

"That is my real name thank you."

He had an expression that said _just get it over with_, and Liz personally couldn't blame him. If she had a name like that she'd probably look like that too. What sane being would name their child "Death the Kid"? She cause herself chuckling,

"Bit a mouthful to say isn't it?"

She smirked, failing miserably at hiding her amusement.

"You may call me Kid if you wish, if that's less of a mouthful."

He said, an eyebrow twitching slightly. Liz stifled another laugh, nodding. Patty, who had finally calmed down, and looked at "Kid", as he called himself, asking in a childish tone,

"Where does Kid-kun live? Does he live in a castle like a prince?"

She giggled, smiling innocently at him. He stared at her, that strange look still on his face. Slowly, he blinked and adopted a small smile, speaking in a rather soft tone Liz hadn't heard him use before,

"I don't think I live in a castle, certainly not like a prince. I live at Gallows Manor." He chuckled dryly, turning to Liz, "I trust you know where Death City is."

Liz grimaced. Of course she knew where Death City was. Apparently it had a school where weapons trained with their meisters, run by a Shinigami otherwise known as "Lord Death". _Wonder if they know each other_, she thought absent-mindedly. It was likely. Breaking her thoughts, she nodded, responding slightly sarcastically,

"Yes, I do, who doesn't?"

He nodded, apparently not getting the sarcasm. He turned to Patty, who nodded vigorously. He turned away, seemingly satisfied, and walked out of the warehouse, (the bodies were still piled up as neatly as ever) gesturing for the sisters to follow. Patty skipped along cheerfully, Liz hanging behind her, eyes narrowed. She didn't see any means of transportation around, perhaps he had a private driver? She was about to ask when he held his hand out in front of him, and what happened next caused Liz to gasp out loud, Patty gaping, eyes wide in wonder. Shadows were flowing out of the palm of his hand, twisting and sparking occasionally, before taking form and transforming into-

"A skateboard?"

Liz asked, unimpressed, all surprise and awe leaving her. A skateboard could hardly get them to Death City, much less transport both Patty and Liz. She was about to give a rather blunt exclamation when Kid spoke before her,

"Liz, Patty, I suggest you transform, I doubt Beelzebub could carry all three of us in human form."

He held out his hands expectantly, looking at them both. Patty transformed immediately, looking overjoyed, while Liz hesitated,

"How's a skateboard going to get us to Death City?"

She asked with a raised eyebrow. Kid merely kept his hand outstretched and answered with a simple,

"You'll see."

Liz didn't know if she liked that answer. Reluctantly, she transformed, feeling herself being easily caught by the Shinigami, and a new entry to the list of things that had surprised her that night was added. She had expected discomfort, or at least a tight feeling as she had heard some souls experienced when met with other, incompatible souls, but this feeling was nothing like that. Instead, she felt a slightly warm, tingling feeling, almost like a close embrace, as he held her in his hand. She didn't know how, but she could feel a faint presence, no, _two_ faint presences, there with her, not perfectly in tune, but fairly close, and she could feel them. _What is this? Am I actually compatible with this guy?_ No, that was ridiculous. How could she, Elizabeth Thompson, who had been on the streets all her life, be compatible with a rich kid who probably never suffered in his life? It had to be Patty's soul, yes, that was it. But then, why did she feel the presence of two?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt herself, Patty, and Kid jerk upward, flashing her reflection in the gun to see what was going on. She squeaked slightly at what she saw, and wished (despite her former thoughts) that Kid would hold her and Patty tighter. The skateboard was at least one-hundred feet off the ground, and rising rapidly, Kid in a position so as to balance himself while holding Liz and Patty. Liz tried not to look down, but it was hard since she was nearly held over the edge of the skateboard.

"Relax, I won't drop you."

Surprised, Liz looked at Kid. He had a perfectly calm look, and Patty was giggling all the time, obviously enjoying herself. _How did Kid know what I was feeling_… she thought to herself uncertainly, only to hear Kid's voice again,

"We're resonating. I was actually surprised, I really expect you to do so." He smirked slightly, "I was under the impression you didn't think very highly of me."

Liz gritted her teeth. She didn't know why, but that remark grated on her nerves. Of course she didn't think highly of him, the spoiled brat-

"I understand your dislike of me, but consider yourself lucky. You don't nearly get yourself gored by a wasp witch on a mission to get your father a bag of peanuts."

_A what?! Did he just say "wasp witch"? Witches don't exist!_

"I'm afraid you're wrong on that note."

He muttered as he urged the board forward, flying over the city. Now that she thought of it, she didn't mind so much, as long as she didn't think of plummeting to her death… she gulped inwardly, continuing the conversation just to distract her,

"_Why would you get yourself gored getting your dad peanuts?_"

She snickered from inside the gun, finding it a bit too funny trying to distract herself from the altitude. Kid merely sighed,

"As I mature, my soul becomes more obvious. A young shinigami is a very valuable soul. Witches and Kishin would kill their own kind for one. And Father is very picky when it comes to food."

He grumbled as they soared over the country side. So far Patty hadn't joined their conversation; she was mesmerized by the view. Liz felt resent boiling up in her. He didn't go hungry every night…

"Even if I did, I am much more capable as a shinigami to handle hunger. We starve much slower than humans, it'd take at least a week for me to even feel the hunger, and Father can survive even longer without food. Besides, when we do starve, it merely severely weakens and hinders our fighting capacity and energy. We will not die from something as mundane as starvation…"

Liz detected a hint of distain in his voice, and growled inwardly.

"_What about cold, money, shelter?"_

She felt herself starting to lose the argument. How the hell could she keep her resent if it was just his nature not to starve like humans? Kid answered in an equally cool tone,

"Again, those are merely to help with my fighting capability. Shinigami are more resistant to cold and things like that, but at low enough temperatures we can indeed be rendered immobile." He chuckled dryly, "While it won't kill me, it's quite uncomfortable."

He flicked his yellow eyes at her,

"As for money, it is not essential to me. Shinigami do not need the paper stuff humans use, but it is convenient when on missions involving the human world. Gallows Manor belongs to my father, but he's so busy running Shibusen that-"

_Wait. WHAT?! _Liz felt surprise jar her, complete, and utter shock. _His FATHER is LORD DEATH?!_ For a moment, she was speechless, unable to form intelligible words in thoughts or words. _What have I got myself into,_ she wondered, _And what will I?_

/\(/*\)/\

Kid felt amusement well up in him at Liz's surprise. He kept quiet so she could absorb it all, turning his attention to Patty. To his surprise, Patty had immediately resonated with Kid, and was quite in tune with him. In all honesty, Patty intrigued him. She was just so… happy, was all he could say. Not like his sister, mistrustful, grudging. He had been surprised enough that she had resonated with him, instead of blocking herself out. _Probably just trying to gain my trust,_ he thought ruefully. He was relatively sure about Patty, but he would have to keep an eye on Liz. It was only too obvious she would try to wring him dry, and he was unsure of how she would react when she found that there was nothing to wring. His father only gave him money on missions to the human world (and when he asked, which was next to never), and he had very little status in Death City. Of course, he had some influence over meisters, due to his position as Lord Death's son, but other than that, he had little power over them. He hardly interacted with other people anyway, save for when Spirit visited occasionally to check up on him to see if he was alright, (hardly necessary, he could take care of himself) and when he occasionally got in a battle with a witch, a Kishin, or anything else that felt like attacking him when he was on father's missions. He turned his attention back to Liz, who was silent now, probably thinking over what she just heard. Or she just didn't feel like talking, it really didn't make a difference to Kid. He didn't really care what anyone thought of him; as long as he could create the perfectly balanced world when he took his father's place as a shinigami, he would be happy. At least, that was what he told himself. He took another look at the gun who was Patty, her reflection still visible, peering down as they approached the Gallows Manor. Her soul seemed so content, as if she needed nothing more than her sister to keep her happy. _Why is that, _he wondered, _How can she get happiness that easily?_ As if in answer, an unbidden image of a lovely woman with strawberry blond hair, fair skin, and soft green eyes pushed itself inside his head. He gritted his teeth, shoving it out angrily. _That_ was the last thing he needed. If there was _anything he needed, it was balance, life and death, good and evil, weighed out evenly. He didn't need_ _that_. It had forsaken him long ago. _Let it stay gone,_ he thought bitterly, as he landed in front of the Manor.

/\(/*\)/\

Liz stayed silent for the rest of the trip, mostly to stifle her nausea, but partially to let what she just found out sink in. Lord Death, the great shinigami, her meister (at least until she could drain him), Death the Kid, was the Grim Reaper's son. She shuddered inwardly. She'd have to do this quickly, if she was caught, she'd probably have the Grim Reaper on her trail, which, based on what Kid could do, would not be good at all. She cast a glance at Kid, deciding not to start planning until she was back in human form, lest he find out (if he hadn't already, she thought with a grimace). She barely noticed they were losing height, only spotting it when she realized they were barely twenty feet off the ground, and the mansion was in view, and when they landed, Kid letting her and Patty shift back, she was sure her eyes boggled. Mansion was understating it. It was as Patty described it, a castle really. It lacked color, being completely black and white, save for the red of the stairs leading up to the black double doorway, which had a rather large skull over the entrance. The roof was peaked in the middle, the rest being flat, and blood red. This guy had never had to sleep on the street; that was certain. She only tore her eyes away from the place when she felt a light tap on her shoulder, looking back to see Kid,

"I assume you will want some dinner?"

He asked coolly. It took Liz a second to realize what he was asking, and come to think of it, she hadn't eaten all day,

"Oh… yeah, sure…"

She answered dazedly, turning back to the mansion, only to hear Kid again, this time sounding a little annoyed,

"I suggest you don't loiter in the doorway then."

Liz gritted her teeth, furious at herself for displaying her awe. Although, she had to admit the place was impressive, as she let Kid push open the door for her and Patty. _Weird, you'd think he'd have a doorman or something… it's not even locked… oh well, I'm sure we'll get to meet his nanny or something later…_ As she walked in, she found herself face to face with a long corridor, which Patty promptly bolted down; however Liz hung back, finding herself staring at the unusual gold-framed paintings on either side of the wall. Each painting was the same as the one facing it, none having any color aside from black and white, and all having something to do with skulls in them. _God, this kid may be a shinigami, but seriously?_ At the end of the corridor, were two torches, each positioned across from each other and looking more like candles than torches.

"Do you like it?"

She turned at Kid's cool voice,

"I made them all completely symmetrical, they have to be so or else they're disorderly."

She felt herself cringe on the inside, _Is this guy a neat freak or something?_ She continued down the hall, where she was greeted by an enormous room, which a staircase cushioned by a blood red carpet going up and leading into multiple paths and hallways, with two sculptures of no other than skull heads on either side of the banister. She turned at the sound of excited laughing; Patty was running around happily, shouting at the top of her lungs,

"Sissy! It's so huge! It's GINORMAUS!"

She laughed, as she ran behind the staircase,

"SISSY, SISSY, I FOUND A BIG TABLE!" She ran out, right up to Kid, who was still standing in the corridor, "Will Kid-kun let Patty and sissy eat there?"

She beamed. Liz turned, curling her lip. She expected the brat to tell them to wait outside while he got them some scraps, or at least tell them to eat sitting on the stairs while he had dinner, but to her surprise he did neither of those things.

"If you wish, the fridge is in the kitchen. That's just in the entrance on the far left; the right one goes to the library if you want to read. Eat whatever you want, if you want a hot meal I'll help you, and the canned soup is in the cupboard."

He said nonchalantly. Liz turned to him, mouth slightly open. Letting them eat in the dining room had startled her; now eat was offering to help them cook something?! What was this brat up too? She gritted her teeth. Part of her wanted to believe he was just showing kindness, trying to make them feel at home, but that couldn't be. That wasn't how it worked, she reminded herself, rich kids don't just do that. Her thoughts were interrupted by Patty again,

"Is Kid-kun going to eat with us?"

She stared at him innocently, obviously hopeful. Kid showed no emotion on his face, but she swore she saw a flicker of surprise there for a second, as if he didn't expect a request like that. It was probably just her imagination, a trick of the light.

"I'm sorry, I have an appointment with Father, I believe he wants to speak with me." It was hard to catch, but Liz heard an undertone of bitterness in the voice, "If you wish to change then get something from my dresser, it's in the bathroom on the right hand side of the first corridor on the stairs, the door on the left is where you may sleep."

Kid turned his back, Patty looking a bit crestfallen, but she soon perked up and raced right up to Kid saying happily,

"That's okay!"

And flung her arms around his neck. Liz froze, waiting for Kid to yell at her to get off or something, but he didn't. He just stood there, a look on his face that looked as if he had never had anything even remotely close to what he was receiving now. Patty kept her arms around his neck for a moment longer, before letting go and asking, eyes wide,

"Why didn't Kid-kun hug back?"

Kid's jaw tightened slightly at this, and he turned, saying one last time without looking back,

"You may go shopping for new clothes tomorrow, I'll ask Father for the money."

Was that a tremor in his voice? _Stop thinking crazy, _Liz told herself firmly. But then, that look on his face, like he had never had a hug before flashed in front of Liz's eyes. _Probably shocked that Patty warmed up so quickly, _she chuckled inwardly, before turning to her sister, who to her surprise, had a rather sad look on her face. Liz sighed as they both walked to the kitchen, aiming to cheer her up,

"What's up with that guy, eh Patty?"

She snickered, but Patty only looked at her, face sadder than ever,

"He's hurting, sissy. He's hurting real bad."


	3. Chapter 3

**(DISCLAIMER: I OWN NONE OF THIS! SOUL EATER BELONGS TO WHOEVER OWNS IT)**

**Chapter 3: The Resonating Sound of a Child's Laughter**

Kid walked up the hall to the Death Room, wondering what his father could possibly want at this time of night. _Probably about the sisters, _he thought grudgingly. Technically he wasn't supposed to go out at that time of night, (one of Father's stupid paranoia's about witches and Kishins) much less pick a few outlaws off the streets as weapons. He was actually expected to choose from a wide collection of women who were already certified Death Scythes (hand chosen by, of all people, Spirit), and his father should have known full well that there was no way he was going to partner with one of those asymmetrical women that that Death Scythe shoved in his face with googly eyes. Kid grimaced as the memory, his head hurting with just the thought of remembering all that asymmetry. _If he doesn't like it, it's his fault for sending me on a mission with such a tempting opportunity for perfect balance_. Then again, he hardly ever saw his father; it was likely he didn't anticipate his son selecting a pair of drifters as weapons, expecting him to be above that. _There is no rank when it comes to symmetry. _He made a note to himself: when he had his perfect world, all would be equal in all's eyes, no one higher than the other, lest they ruin the balance. When he had an opportunity for perfect symmetry in his grasp, as his right and left hands, he would take it, and nothing his father said would make him choose differently. He determinedly directed the thoughts of the upcoming lecture away from his mind; he didn't want to think about the argument which would probably ensue. He wouldn't think about it, he told himself, but his thoughts drifted to a subject that made him wish he had dwelt on the argument. The hug he'd received from Patty, the younger Thompson sister. Why had she done that? All he did was let her eat at a table. What had he done to deserve such a thing? Perhaps she thought he was being kind? If they really were going to live with him, of course they could eat wherever they liked, so long as they didn't get the table asymmetrical. As far as Kid was concerned, it was their house as well as his, at least if they decided to stay. Surely the younger sister understood that. _Then again, maybe not_, he thought ruefully, remembering her childish behavior. Ridiculously happy. It was almost absurd, especially at a girl of her age. _How does she stay happy like that? What makes her so content, even with the way they were living?_ Again, that picture in his mind flashed of the woman with green eyes. _It has nothing to do with that! It can't! _He thought desperately, staring at the ground and using the full force of his mind to shove that picture out of his head. Perhaps it was just human optimism, that one thing in humans that made them foolish. The fact that they never gave up on themselves or others in their struggle for life. No, that wasn't it. She didn't have that stubborn look he had seen in humans so often. It was something else, if he could just figure her out…

"_You're lying._"

Kid stiffened, hearing that small voice in the back of his head,

"_You do know what makes her so happy._"

Kid looked up. He was never so relieved to see the doors the Death Room in front of him. His thoughts strayed from the younger sister again, shifting back to the lecture up ahead. Heaving a sigh, he reluctantly knocked on the door, hearing a vague "come in", from behind the door. Kid put his hand on the doorknob, hesitating a moment before opening it. Sure enough, Spirit was there, as well as his father, the appearance of the room now a completely red painted room with multiple torches, a large fireplace with a roaring fire (more of a bonfire actually) and a table square table with four red cushioned arm chairs, Spirit sitting casually with his legs up, and his father standing, looking at Kid as he walked in,

"Hiya Kiddo!"

He said with his usual enthusiasm, bouncing up to his son,

"You're so tall, I remember when you were eleven and tried to cut your hair off with scissors!"

Kid's eyebrow twitched, irritation rising in him. It seemed every time his father saw him, he'd bring up some embarrassing incident of Kid's childhood that would seem endearing to _him_, but to Kid…

"I'd rather not be reminded."

He said curtly, ignoring his father's look of slight disappointment, turning his attention to Spirit, who had taken his feet of the table and stood up to look at him,

"Yo Kid! Heard you found yourself some weapons." He raised an arm dramatically, "Wild beauties from the concrete jungle. I'll admit, you have good taste-"

Spirit collapsed to the ground, a large dent in his head, Father putting the hand used for the Direct Noggin Chop back in his cloak and turning back to Kid,

"Congratulations on getting your weapons Kiddo, they seem like they have real potential if you manage to resonate successfully," His tone got a hint darker, "it'd be a real shame to waste potential like that."

He looked at Kid meaningfully; Kid got the message: _if you don't manage to get them under control, you know what may happen._ He felt himself tense. Indeed, if he didn't manage to get the demon guns to warm up to him, they ran a risk of an execution. One Kishin egg was bad enough, but when it got to two at the same time, there was an issue, one a Reaper had to deal with. Yes, he knew the stakes. Patty he felt he didn't need to worry about. The hug flashed through his mind and he pitched it out. Yes, Patty was fine. Liz was the problem. She didn't trust him, and he had no way of telling how'd she'd react when she found he wasn't as well off as he seemed; he got practically everything from his father, in fact if he had to say, he hardly owned anything at all. Her sister would probably follow after her as well; he saw how devoted they were to each other. This meant, if Liz left, he would probably have to deal with both of them, and he'd wind up starting his search for symmetry over again.

"_That's not all there is, is it?_"

That tiny little voice whispered in the back of his mind.

"_Shut up._"

He advised it. Looking back at his father, he nodded,

"Indeed it would Father. Is that all?"

The older Shinigami nodded, his tone becoming light and cheerful again, but there was something slightly melancholy hiding in that tone,

"Yes. Please be careful Kid, it really would be a shame to have to waste weapons like those, they truly have potential to be your partners."

Something in his tone irked Kid, and then he knew it. Sympathy. This was the last person he wanted sympathy from,

"Well, it's not as if it's the first time we've thrown away something we've grown attached too."

That was stretching the truth. He didn't know whether 'attached too' was the right expression for his thoughts towards the sisters. He had said the words calmly without a change in tone, but they did their work. An electric charge practically filled the air, and Spirit (who had somehow regained conscious), even if he wasn't aware of what was causing it, visibly stiffened. Shinigami looked at Kid for a long time, Kid holding his gaze without flinching or blinking, before Shinigami turned his back, his tone low,

"You may go now Kid."

"Thank you Father."

He said in the same blank voice, before turning and walking out, trying his best not to storm out.

"Kid."

He turned back at his father's sad voice, hand on the door,

"Yes Father?"

"It was my duty as a Shinigami. It isn't something I can just cast away at my leisure. What you're blaming me for not doing was against the laws of nature. You of all people should understand that."

His tone was no longer light, taking on a much more grim tone. Kid clenched his jaw to keep himself from grinding his teeth, barely getting the words out,

"You tell that to Mom."

He growled through his teeth, before storming out and slamming the door as hard as he could behind him, running the hallways as fast as he could, as if to outrun the anger, part of him ashamed by his immaturity, but the other part, the stronger part, overcome by fury. _You of all people should understand that_. His father's words echoed in his head. No, he didn't. And he never wanted too. 

/\(/*\)/\

Liz woke in a haze, groggy._ It was all a dream, _she thought to herself_, I'm not in a mansion; I'm still on the streets sleeping in a box... wait… why it is so soft? _She thought, panicked, sitting bolt upright and snapping out of her stupor, for a second wondering frenziedly where she was, before finding Patty nuzzled up against her, and slowly recalling the peculiar events of the last night. Yes, it had been real. Liz and Patty Thompson, the Devils of Brooklyn, were sleeping in a soft bed at a manor. Liz looked at Patty, who was still sleeping soundly, curled up next to her sister in a ball, the bed still warm from both their body heat. Suddenly, Liz felt very cold, and nuzzled back into the soft bed. Even she had to admit, she was fairly surprise by how smoothly last night had played out (save for the stacking of the thugs, she thought with a slight grimace). After Kid had left, Liz was surprised to find that there were indeed no servants. She and Patty had opened the fridge to find meats, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and even a few slices of chocolate cake (which Liz had only seen in the bakery once). Patty had gulped down the cake, while Liz had eaten multiple servings of some kind of meat, and some fruit, finishing with a slice of cake, before they both leaned back, contented. Liz had never eaten so well in her life, and neither had Patty, who made it quite clear that she was content (by announcing it at the top of her lungs). When she headed up the strange carpeted stairs, she was quite surprised to find that the room Kid picked out for them was quite big enough for both of them, with a bedside table on either side. Likewise with the clothes. They were too big for Patty, but still, they were able to find clothes comfortable enough to sleep in. Liz closed her eyes, not really wanting to wake up just then, and dozed off for a moment only to wake up a few minutes later to Patty shaking her rather violently and pestering her to go downstairs with her to see if Kid was okay. Apparently she hadn't missed out on the remark about the wasp witch.

"Hurry up sis!"

Patty whined in her ear,

"I wanna' go see in Kid-kun is home!"

"I'm getting up Patty, don't whine in my ear!"

She grumbled as she flung the covers off her, rubbing her eyes to clear them out, and getting a look at the room. The night before, she had been far too tired to see anything but the bed, but now she saw many other things. Like the hallways, and the unusual bathroom (who has two rolls of toilet paper in their bathroom?) there was pictures everywhere, facing each other on either wall, each the same, and all of them having something to do with skulls. As if that wasn't creepy enough, the doorknob, the, the lamps on either side of the bed, and the covers all had at least one skull on them (the doorknob actually _was_ a skull, with the square-shaded lamp having skulls on each side, and the covers having one giant skull in the middle). _Morbid freak, _Liz shuddered as she got off the bed. Almost everything in the house had an unnatural neatness, and at least something to do with death. _The carpets are blood red for God's sake_. Liz looked at the clothes she had selected (a bit tight but good enough for her) in dread, hoping to anyone who cared that there were no damn skulls on them, letting out a sigh of relief that they didn't, the pants being a simple black, and the shirt white with two red stripes on either side. _So if it's not death-themed, it's symmetrical, or both,_ she thought with a grimace. She thought she liked the symmetrical more. Patty had selected a bright orange shirt with black pants like her sister. _Finally, something that's not black, white, or blood red,_ she stopped herself from rolling her eyes, following her sister down the hall and down the stairs, trying not to notice the skull sculptures at the top and bottom. Personally she could see why this guy had no servants. It was almost shameful to admit to herself that she, Elizabeth Thompson, was seriously creeped out by the house. Patty seemed not to notice however, skipping cheerfully down the stairs and heading into the kitchen. Liz was almost down the stairs, when she heard Patty let out an ear-piercing scream. Immediately she raced down, prepared to beat the stuffing out of whatever was hurting Patty, only to see her little sister bouncing up and down in the doorway, eyes completely lite up. Placed in front of the chairs they had been sitting in last night, was a large meal, with scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttered toast with a glass of what looked like orange juice for Liz and a steaming mug of chocolaty brown liquid for Patty. Liz felt astonishment rising in her; _maybe this kid has ghost servants or something._ She shoved the thought down and cautiously approached the table, staring at the food. It looked real enough, and by the way Patty was tucking in, it tasted real enough too. Sitting down carefully, she picked up her fork and speared a piece of scrambled egg, sniffing it to be sure. _If this is fake, it's the best hallucination I'll get, _she sighed, and put the piece of egg in her mouth. Before she knew it she had quickly scarfed the whole thing, realizing how she had never eaten more than a quarter of that amount every day, and how malnourished she and Patty probably were. Taking a huge gulp of orange juice, she turned her attention to Patty, who was leaning in the chair contently, both hands on her full belly. _I've never seen her so content before… _before she could finish the thought a familiar monotone voice spoke from the back of the room, where the kitchen was,

"Enjoy it?"

Liz quickly turned her head, surprised that she didn't notice Kid there before. He looked slightly tired, there were slight circles under his eyes, but otherwise he didn't look it. Liz finally found her voice after a second, trying to seem uncaring and indifferent,

"It was alright. Better than the stuff me and Patty steal anyway."

She shrugged casually. It would have been more convincing if she had a cigarette, and she made a move to reach into her pocket before remembering she was wearing Kid's clothes. She'd have to ask him for some later. Kid merely smiled faintly,

"I'm glad to hear that. It seems your sister enjoyed it."

He gestured towards Patty, Liz following his glance. Patty was holding the mug in both hands, drinking deeply before lowering the mug, offering her sister a hot chocolate-mustache smile before taking another gulp. She turned back to Kid, who was still looking at Patty. There was something in his eyes she couldn't place as he stared at Patty; it was almost like he was trying to figure her out.

"_He's hurting real bad._"

Liz shifted uncomfortably as her little sister's words rung through her mind. Patty rarely talked really coherently, as in completely aware of other's emotions, but when she did, she was usually right. She had been very good at pinpointing what Liz was feeling during the streets, but she always figured it was because she was her sister. Reading Kid was another thing entirely, with his blank face, having no expression except that small smirk. Her thoughts crawled themselves over to that smile he had given them after he had saved their lives. That smile, it was polite, friendly, refined… Liz was even tempted to use the word… charming-

_ACK! NO! DO NOT LET YOUR THOUGHTS GO THERE ELIZABETH THOMPSON, FOR GOD'S SAKE, YOU'RE JUST MANIPULATING HIM! Right?_

She told herself firmly, ignoring the question at the end and looking at her sister just to have something other than Kid to look at. That was a mistake. Never had Liz seen Patty so contented. Never on the streets, not even when they had eaten relatively well. She had still had that animal like look about her, a wild hunger, like Liz had had. She hadn't noticed until then, how happy Patty seemed in the mansion. And she liked Kid too. She could tell just by the way Patty looked at him, displaying a childlike side that she hadn't realized was there in Patty.

"More please!"

Patty's voice snapped her out of her thoughts; Patty was holding out the mug to Kid, a smile on her face. Kid merely raised an eyebrow,

"Hot chocolate may be good, but I doubt it's very good for your health..." He trailed off, turning his gaze to Liz and staring at her intently, "Much like those cigarettes I found in your pockets Miss Elizabeth."

Liz's first reaction was surprised. No one called her Elizabeth, much less 'Miss'. Come to think of it, she didn't recall telling this guy their names. _Well, he did say he was tracking us… _she thought grudgingly. Her second reaction snapped her out of her last thought,

"You went through our clothes you pervert!"

She cried indignantly. Kid looked rather offended, raising both eyebrows and speaking in a defensive manner, a light flush making his skin seem paler than ever,

"I did no such thing. I was picking them off the bathroom floor to do for laundry later; they were making the bathroom asymmetrical! The cigarettes fell out of your pocket."

He continued, ignoring Patty's giggling, completely forgotten about the hot chocolate,

"I'd really rather you didn't smoke, it makes your lungs asymmetrical."

He paused, thinking for a moment, and then adding nonchalantly,

"Oh, and it will kill you in the process…"

He said with a shrug, although he looked at Liz meaningfully. Liz opened her mouth to tell him that it was none of his damn business what happened to her lungs, but Kid interrupted,

"If I am to be you and your sister's meister, I have a right to worry about your health. I also am aware that most use cigarettes to calm themselves, and you probably did due to the stress of living on the streets. You no longer live on the streets, so I suggest you find a different habit than filling your lungs with toxins."

Kid never took his eyes off Liz during that small lecture, and in all honesty Liz knew he was right, which irked her, as well as the fact that her eyes seemed to have a will of their own and trying their absolute to avoid his gaze. _What is wrong with me?_ She thought, _why do I care what he thinks?_ She knew that the cigarettes would kill her, but up until that moment, she had never really thought of it. She guessed she just wanted to shorten her time on the streets, but now that she'd have all that money after draining him dry…

"Elizabeth."

She looked at Kid, who was staring at her with a hard look,

"If you don't want to stop by my request, please think about Patty."

She stiffened, her hands clenching into fists. Patty would be heartbroken if her sister died, she knew that, and since she started smoking when she was thirteen, her health would be pretty bad based on how much she smoked if she didn't stop. Patty wasn't saying anything, simply staring at Liz, then to Kid, and back, her expression (surprisingly) unreadable, seeming more introverted. Liz gritted her teeth. She didn't want to make Patty upset and, no matter how indifferent she played herself out as, she didn't want to die, especially at this turn of events. Yes, she'd stop, at least for the moment. Of course, casting a look at Kid, she was _not _going to let the little brat know he had not his way. Throwing her arms behind her head, she leaned back in her chair and flicked her eyes towards Kid, saying in the loftiest tone she could manage,

"I'll give it a thought brat."

Did the corners of his mouth twitch slightly? It might have been her imagination… WHY WAS SHE HOPING IT WASN'T?! _I'm just hoping that if I make him laugh, he might trust me more. Yeah, that's it, _she thought firmly, drilling the idea into her head.

"Well, I'll leave you to your thought. Please tell me when you're ready, I'd like to get started on practice right away."

"Right away?!"

Liz felt incredulity burst out in her chest,

"Can't we get some new clothes first? Something a bit more comfortable then… these?"

Kid merely raised an eyebrow. Indeed, although his clothes were a reasonable fit, the clothes were a bit tight for both Liz and Patty around the chest area. Finally, he seemed to reach an internal decision, and nodded to them both,

"Very well, I will give you both enough money to go cloth shopping. I don't suppose you…" He winced slightly, as if Liz might beat him up when he said it, "You'd make them matching outfits would you? I'm sure you know by now, but I am rather fond of symmetry."

Instead of rage, Liz felt more disbelief. _Matching outfits? _Was this guy off his rocker? She would have voiced her thoughts, and none too gently, but Kid kept going, this time his voice getting more irate,

"Even though… your hairstyles and your heights are different," his voice raised in volume, becoming thoroughly aggravated, "AND YOUR DAMN BREAST SIZES ARE DIFFERENT!"

Liz didn't hesitate. She got up, stormed over and socked him in the jaw as hard as she could, catching him off guard and sending him reeling (something she had been longing to do since she had first mugged them).

"IT'S NOT MY DAMN FAULT PATTY'S CUP SIZE IS BIGGER!" Liz was positively fuming; something about that last comment really set her off, "BESIDES, LOOK AT YOU TALKING, YOU GOT HALF YOUR EMPTY HEAD COVERED WITH STRIPES! SINCE WHEN IS THAT SYMMETRICAL?!"

Kid, who looked as if he was about to respond angrily, stopped just as he opened his mouth, staring at Liz for a full five seconds with a blank look on his face. What happened next was more shocking to Liz than him releasing all his shinigami powers on her.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! I'M A HIDEOUS ASYMMETRICAL PIECE OF GARBAGE, I'M THE GOD OF FILTH, I SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BORN, I'M A DISGRACEFUL BLOT ON THE WORLD, I SHOULD DIE RIGHT NOW!"

Liz stood with her mouth open, watching the emotionless shinigami have an all-out sobbing tantrum on the floor while Patty laughed her head off.

"H-hey…"

She began, but he immediately stopped beating his fists on the carpet and lay on the ground, face down, voice muffled by the floor,

"No, it's alright, I know I'm hideous. Just leave me on the side of the road on trash day, I'll die right here."

Liz blinked, trying to wrap her mind about what just happened. _The guy who talked about nearly getting gored like it was nothing gets set off by his hair… and I thought he was just a little eccentric. _She couldn't believe she was doing it, but she carefully approached the melodramatic death god, who was still lying on the floor. _Geez, I hope he doesn't get violent or anything like that…_ she thought as she carefully approached him, attempting a small, forced smile, and speaking the way she would with a little kid,

"Hey, I never said that, I mean… you're the son of a grim reaper right? So…" she searched her mind for something to say, "Emm… I mean… they're just stripes right, who'd notice that on a reaper?"

Kid didn't move, simply staying on the ground and saying in a miserable tone,

"You don't need to comfort me. I'm a horrible wretch, a hideous asymmetrical mess."

"Oh come on, you aren't hideous, you look fine, plenty symmetrical, stripes or no stripes."

Liz winced. That wasn't necessarily a lie; with or without stripes, Death the Kid was certainly not missing anything in the looks department… _ACK, NOT THAT AGAIN_! She told herself. There was nothing wrong with acknowledging another's good looks, it was only human, she told herself. Tensing, and dreading the worst, she patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. _Uh, I can't believe I'm doing this, _she grimaced. Kid stared at her from his spot on the floor, before moving to get up slightly (thank god).

"You… you really mean that Elizabeth?"

"Sure," she smiled, hoping it didn't look _too _fake, "You're fine either way, no one's going to notice those little things."

Kid's face immediately lit up, seeming utterly elated, before picking himself off the ground quickly and resuming his unemotional face, the only evidence that he had thrown a fit the fact that Liz was crouched on the floor, and Patty was still pointing and laughing, clutching her side with one hand. Liz regarded him carefully as she picked herself up, one eyebrow raised. _Well, I guess that answers my question… this guy's cracked. _Kid dusted himself off slightly, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wallet,

"I got this from my father last month, but I have no use for it, I don't spend much. Spend as much as you like on clothes, and I really would like them to be matching, if you would kindly oblige."

He nodded, casting an irate look at Patty, who was only just starting to calm down her laughter.

"Now, I must find us a suitable training target."

He turned on his heel and strolled out, hands in his pockets, leaving Liz speechless with a wallet in her hand and Patty gasping for breath and grasping her sides.

"W-well," she breathed, chuckling some more, "you heard him sis. Let's buy some stuff!"

She giggled, and staggered out of the room, Liz following behind, not really sure what she just witnessed. As she watched Patty in front of her, she realized something.

_I don't think I've ever seen Patty laugh that hard, _was her one thought as she followed after Patty.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Kishin Eggs and Giraffes**

Liz's arms hurt. Groaning, she set the shopping bags on the ground and stretched, Patty doing the same. She had spent longer than she meant to shopping, but she couldn't help herself from exploring every store, stand, and spa at the mall, the temptation and excitement too great for her and Patty to withstand. She had majorly splurged on spending, buying everything from nail polish, to all kinds of clothes and outfits. Patty had been insistent on getting matching outfits like Kid said, even forcing her to buy, of all things, a cowboy hat, although Liz had put her foot down when it came to the short shorts Patty had wanted. She was _not_ exposing that much of herself to men like her mother did, instead settling on some skinny jeans with color similar to her sister's shorts. Sighing, she followed Patty to the bathroom to change. _Well, I guess they're not that bad, _she thought, looking herself over after she was done, adjusting her hat a little. The red half shirt actually flattered her figure, and the skinny jeans fitted quite well with her build, making her look a bit more attractive (in her opinion). Likewise for Patty; the red half shirt was more exposing than Liz would have liked for her little sister, but otherwise the shorts made her look more childish, as they were a bit too big for her and flared out around her thighs, giving her a innocent look that Liz thought she rather liked. The cowboy hats, which Liz futilely tried to talk her sister out of, actually didn't look that bad on them. In fact, it made Liz look a little more mature… in her own way. Liz smirked, giving herself another look over. Yes, this wasn't bad at all. Finally satisfied and giving Patty another look over, she left the bathroom, smirking to herself. _I could use a shower too…_ she began to think, but before she could finish an ear-deafening crash filled the house from the living room, causing her and Patty to bolt downstairs. As they reached the living room, an extremely amusing site met them, causing Patty to erupt into gales of laughter. Underneath a large pile of bagged groceries from the Death City Mall laid a tremendously irritated looking Kid, who was currently faced down on the floor, cheek pressed against the skull patterned rug.

"Geez Kid…" Liz put a hand over her mouth, every part of her fighting to burst out laughing like Patty, "Having-" She let out a snort of laughter, unable to help herself, "Having a little trouble with groceries?"

Kid looked at her as if she had just asked him what two plus two was while tap-dancing,

"No, I decided to bury myself underneath this massive pile of woman's products for my amusement."

His eyebrow twitched and his tone became more pressured,

"Which I might add… is disgracefully asymmetrical!"

"Alright, alright, I'm getting you unburied!"

Liz hurried over at the threat of another one of his tantrums. She was tempted to leave the little brat buried there, but she really didn't feel like watching him throw another tantrum. It was a bit hard to get him out from underneath; Liz had to grab his hand and yank as hard as she could, which, when he was unstuck, she regretted rather badly.

"Ge… GET OFF ME PERVERT!"

She yelled, pushing him off with all her strength, resulting in him toppling onto his back beside her. He merely picked himself up, brushing off his suit and straightening it, before offering his hand to Liz, who, to her own surprise, was still lying on the ground.

"I… I can get up on my own!"

She said loudly, picking herself up crossly. _Quit blushing damn you! _Liz resisted the urge to slap herself in the face, glaring at Kid sourly,

"How'd you get buried in Patty and my stuff anyway?" She asked bitterly, "Were you going through it like last night?!"

Kid flushed lightly at "last night", causing Liz to doubt even more that her cigarettes (damn she wished she had one) had simply "fell out of her pockets". He gave her a sullen glare, his tone sparked with annoyance,

"I brushed up against it. I would have tried to make it symmetrical, but I'm afraid it was rather disagreeable on that point."

Liz was about to give a snarky comeback when her eyes flicked down and saw the things clutched in both Kid's hands, bringing on a new bout of snickering, and forgetting her annoyance and embarrassment,

"Kid… why are you holding a stuffed giraffe and a coloring book?"

Kid's face shifted from sullen, to surprised, as if he had forgotten they were there in his hands, his tone shifting to straight-forward and blunt,

"Ah, these? I told you that you needed a new hobby, so I got you this."

He held out the coloring book,

"I am correct in assuming humans do things such as this for recreation?"

Liz didn't know whether to just stand there in disbelief, or give him another good one to the jaw. Finally, she settled on the former, before finding her voice again, dripping with sarcasm,

"A damn coloring book? Do I look five to you?"

Liz crossed her arms, giving Kid a look of utter incredulity. Kid merely looked slightly confused,

"Then I am incorrect in assuming this about humans?"

The way he looked, like an eight year old trying to comprehend advanced algebra, Liz couldn't help but let out another sniff of laughter,

"You really thought I'd use that?" The look on Kid's face told her the answer, and so Liz moved on before he could answer, "And what's with the giraffe? And if you say that's for me you'll be dead reaper meat."

She added threateningly, putting a small growl in to let him know she was serious, that even if she probably couldn't beat him to save her life, she'd give it her best shot. Kid looked at the giraffe, and held it up, saying sheepishly,

"Oh, this is for Patty, I thought she might like something to keep her busy too."

This time, he at least had the decency to look apologetic, even if it wasn't that much. Patty, however, had quite the opposite from the disbelieving look Liz had had, her laughter stopping immediately, giving way to a completely awed look,

"That's… for Patty?" She said it softly, as if dazed, "Like, a present?"

She looked at Kid as if he might disappear any second. Kid merely looked at it, and back to her, then nodded thoughtfully, as if just considering that possibility,

"Yes, I suppose it is rather like a present…"

He smiled slightly, like he was rather enjoying the idea. Patty just stared blankly,

"No one's ever given Patty a present before."

Kid's smile widened ever so much, it was barely noticeable, becoming a shade more genuine, before quickly switching back to the small smirk he usually had,

"Well, they have now. Please take it, my arm is getting tired."

He held it out farther, as Patty approached tentatively, still eyeing it as though it might disappear any second. She reached out, as if in a dream, quickly snatching the stuffed animal the way a small child would snatch a hamster, so as to not let it escape, pulling it close to her and rubbing it to her face.

"It's soft." She murmured, her voice muffled by the animal, then looking up at Kid with a hopeful expression, "Is it mine for realsies? Like I can name it and stuff?"

Kid nodded, the apologetic look gone and replaced by a look of confusion,

"That's not for me to decide. It's yours."

Patty stared for a second, wonder in her eyes, before giving a giant squeal of joy and running out of the room holding to giraffe by its front legs on her head, laughing and whooping. Liz watched the scene play out with a blank face, seeing Patty so ecstatic. No, ecstatic was an understatement. Human words couldn't even describe the look of complete happiness of Patty's face, receiving a gift when she never had before. For the first time, Liz felt a twinge of guilt in her gut for how she had responded to the coloring book. Sure, it was embarrassing, (and slightly degrading) but considering the giver wasn't even human, and the only humans he had probably been in contact with were probably ones getting their soul collected, (or whatever the hell reapers did with them), it did seem like a genuine attempt at thoughtfulness on his part. She heard a small rustle behind her, and was surprised to see Kid crouched down, organizing the groceries on each couch so that each bag was parallel to the other. Liz stared for a moment, and then, she did something that Elizabeth Thompson would never do under ordinary circumstances. She didn't even know why, she just felt as if she had to do it. She walked up to the massive pile of groceries, crouching down beside Kid and helping him, picking up the groceries the way he was doing it, and trying her best to get them symmetrical like he did. It took several minutes before she realized he had stopped, and was staring at her with an unreadable expression, the golden, two-toned eyes completely sealed over, as if he were purposely guarding his face from expression. Liz looked back at him and raised an eyebrow, saying the first word that came to mind,

"What?"

It came out snider than she actually meant it too, but the guy's face didn't change. He just stared at her as if he had never seen her before in his life.

"You're helping me."

His voice was blank, without any tone at all. Liz just rolled her eyes,

"So? I got nothing better to do. No one ever helped you before with this stuff or something?"

Kid blinked, before saying in the same voice,

"No."

Liz stared at him in disbelief. Where were this brat's servants? His parents! His friends! He was a rich kid; he was supposed to have all that! Now he was saying no one had ever helped him with cleaning up and organizing. That would be servant's work for a kid like him. _Maybe he's not really that pampered after all… _she looked up and found him still facing her direction, but his eyes weren't in the same place; they seemed more introverted now. Liz couldn't help herself. She stood up, every question that she had had about him poured out of her mouth like a broken dam,

"What the hell is wrong with you? Have you been completely isolated from society or something?! Do you even talk to humans aside from us?! Why the hell has no one helped you, you should have servants or something with all the damn cash you got!"

Liz wished she could take back the words, but she couldn't now. She didn't even know why she had asked them all like that, she wasn't even thinking anymore. Why should she even care? _He's probably going to be pissed… _Liz's imagination went into overdrive, although she stopped it. If he didn't want to answer them, he didn't need too, she had just asked, even if it was without thinking. Kid said nothing for a second, his expression no longer unreadable; he was wearing that strange look he had with Patty, although this time, she read something in his eyes, something that asked, _Why do you care?_ Slowly, he opened his mouth, the words coming out blank and emotionless, although she swore she heard something in them she couldn't place,

"Nothing is wrong with me. I am free to go where I wish. I've spoken to my father's Death Scythe a few times, but other than that I prefer to keep to myself. I am in no need of help thank you, much less servants, and the money belongs to my father, and it is usually used in investigations involving bribing, infiltration, or any kind of consorting with humans. They can be easily swayed with anything really, so long as it holds some kind of value to them, no matter how pointless it really is." He smirked slightly, "Even if it is just paper."

Liz stiffened at the words. They were spoken in a bland, business-like voice, but she could hear the insult in them. _Even if it is just paper. _The words bit her pride as she silently glared at him. _Did you steal money because you placed value on it, or because others did_, the yellow eyes seemed to be asking. _Because others did, of course,_ her response to herself was, but no, that wasn't it.

"I don't care who placed value on what." She growled, staring Kid in the face, "It kept Patty fed. That was all I needed to know."

The words had the desired result. Kid seemed lost for words, staring at Liz like she was a completely new species. Liz stared defiantly back, trying not to look away or blink. Finally, Kid spoke, his voice quiet, timid, like a shy child being introduced to someone for the first time,

"Why are you willing to sacrifice everything for her?"

Everything about his tone, the way he stared at the ground, told Liz that Kid was terrified of the answer. _Getting gored, going on missions for his father… and he's scared of this? Why is that? _Then Liz knew. She knew why he was so afraid to hear the answer. Her thoughts swept over his OCD, his fits, his need to create a perfect world… the way he looked at Patty. He was afraid of not understanding, and personally she couldn't blame him. He was supposed to be the future Grim Reaper, death incarnate, everything being exact, neat, and balanced. When something that he couldn't understand came along, he obviously didn't know how to deal with it, with his little fits, and that look he gave Patty. He couldn't understand why people would sacrifice things for other people. _Wonder why that is…_ wait. Why was she thinking about that? Why should she care? What did she care if he didn't like the answer, she'd tell it to his face, whether he liked it or not,

"She's my sister Kid. I love her."

Her own voice surprised her. It wasn't snide, like the tone she used to mug people, or mock Kid, it wasn't angry, or resentful. It was strong, calm, and steady. The voice she reassured herself with when Patty was hungry, that she'd protect Patty until the end. And here she was, saying it out loud, the reason for everything she did. It felt good.

/\(/*\)/\

Kid didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know. It just forced its way out, not caring whether he didn't want to hear it, he just had to know. What made them so close? Patty was immature, happy all the time, and always optimistic, while Elizabeth was tough, hardened, and suspicious of any actual good luck that came her and her sister's way. Completely asymmetrical. Yet, they were somehow perfectly balanced. They fit together like two pieces in a puzzle. He couldn't understand why. And it scared him. He was the son of Death, the future Reaper, he had to understand! Then Liz said it.

"_She's my sister Kid. I love her."_

The answer he had dreaded. It wasn't just mutual need, or attachment, it was the strange human emotion of love. A pointless emotion that he had left to rot. He didn't love anyone because he didn't need too. Love just made one unbalanced, willing to risk their life for a pointless objective. For Shinigami's sake, he had lost _her _over love. He hadn't understood why. So he didn't think about it. Love made things un-orderly, so he abandoned it. He didn't need it. He didn't want it. Now, it was what made the pair so perfect, yet so asymmetrical. It made no sense.

"Kid."

He looked up at Elizabeth's voice, staring her in the face. She was scrutinizing him, trying to read him. He wouldn't let that happen. He forced himself into the mask he wore so well, the perfect symmetrical face that he had grown accustomed too. Liz spoke as he looked up; he heard utter disbelief in her voice,

"You tellin' me got nobody? Rich kid like you, you gotta' have friends or something!" She stared at him for a moment, as if trying to stare him into telling, "At least you know your parents, they hate you or crap?"

Kid stared at her, a weary feeling weighing his chest down. Why was he feeling that? She was saying the truth. He had no one, Death walked alone, and he was to be Death's heir. That was the truth, so that's what he would tell her.

"Death walks alone. I am Death's heir. I need no one."

"Then why'd you pick us? Out of all the damn girls probably falling over themselves to be your hands or what, why us, huh? And don't tell me it was an act of charity, brat, you're up to something."

That question pulled him up short. Elizabeth's voice sounded suspicious and mocking, but he barely heard it. _I needed weapons to be my right and left hand, _he wanted with all his heart to say, but something stopped him.

"_Is that really the only reason Kid?_"

That tiny voice that plagued him. He had been able to ignore it for so long, why was he hearing it now?

"_Do you really need no one?_"

He shut it out, smothering it under thoughts of all he went through to achieve balance. Death felt nothing. It claimed its victims and moved on. That was the way of life, and that's how it would stay. Even his father, ever cheerful, didn't hesitate when it came to his duties, even if it did cause him pain. Outbursts, like the one the night before, were pointless. He had to be better. He wouldn't feel pain. Finally, he found his voice, forcing himself to sound calm and collected,

"I chose you two because you had the best capability to be my weapons." He saw Elizabeth open her mouth with an indignant look on her face, so he quickly continued in a curt voice, "Please get your sister. I have selected a first level Kishin we will be able to practice combat on. Should something go wrong, I can handle it with Death God Martial Arts. Please hurry."

Elizabeth didn't say anything as he walked out, for which he was thankful.

"Hey Kid."

He stiffened. Something about Elizabeth's voice was different. It was almost… threatening.

"Patty likes you. She thinks you're really something doing this for us." She paused, growling after a second, "If you let her down…"

She didn't finish the sentence, letting the threat hang in the air. Kid didn't know what she would do, and he had a feeling she didn't either. It was this or going back to living on the streets. There was no decision to make. Kid's shoulders tensed, forcing out a question that had been on his mind since Elizabeth had entered the mansion,

"How about you Elizabeth?"

He felt her tense behind him. He couldn't read her thoughts, but the long pause told him she was thinking about it. That was good; at least it was some progress.

"I think you're a creepy, screwed up head case who thinks he's something real special."

Kid blinked. He wasn't necessarily surprised, he had actually been expecting much worse, but her tone suggested… teasing? Was she making fun of him, or being completely honest? Forcing himself to be calm, he turned and looked Elizabeth straight in the eyes. She had a practically evil smirk on, but her eyes seemed uncertain, withdrawn, as if she didn't really know the validity of her own words. He hadn't noticed before, but they were a deep azure blue. Like Patty's, except clearer, more focused. _Something real special… that's what I am, isn't it? _He mused in his head, _I am the only son of Lord Death and future Death himself. I should be flattered… _However, for some reason, he felt a touch of irritation in his chest, determined not to let it show.

"Elizabeth Thompson, I'm the Grim Reaper's son," he said bluntly, focusing his yellow eyes on her in a piercing gaze, "I _am _something special."

With that, he turned, ignoring the teenage girl's death-glare. _Well, I'm just giving her the facts, aren't I? _Was his only thought as he strolled down the hallway, opening the door to wait outside for the two girls.

/\(/*\)/\

Patty ran throughout the house, adrenaline and joy flooding through her. That boy had given her a present! She clung to the fluffy thing as she ran throughout the house. Was he being nice to her? The thought stopped her, and she stared at the beady black sewn on eyes of the animal. It had a big long neck, with spots all over it, with a goofy long face and funny things on its head. It was funny looking, yet completely adorable. _Just like Kid-kun, _she thought, as she ran over his image in her head. Those white stripes on half his head were funny, yet she didn't really find it unattractive, like he seemed to think they were. If she had to say anything, they looked just fine on him. Then there were his bright, double colored eyes. While any sane human would find them unnatural, she didn't think much of them. They were an eye color. What bothered her about them was that they were… not right. They looked like… almost like Sissy's, kind of cracked. She had seen the cracked windows of the run down motels Sissy and her stayed in sometimes, when they were really lucky, except Kid's were different. Sissy's eyes looked broken, she seemed like she had given up on hope. _Kid'll make her better, _she smiled and looked at the gift. Yes, Kid would make Sissy happy, and Patty would see her smile. She had seen the halfhearted smiles she gave Patty on the streets, but Patty didn't want those anymore. She wanted Sissy to really look happy, the actually look Patty in the face and for Patty to honestly say that they were both happy now. That would happen, she knew her sister. Sissy would warm right up to Kid when the time was right, Patty could just feel it. Then there was only Kid for Patty to worry about. He didn't look like Sissy, his eyes weren't broken and hopeless, suspicious and always on the look-out. The only way Patty could describe them… _TAPED!_ The word zipped through her mind, and she felt an unnecessary sense of over-accomplishment she got whenever she got something right, mentally patting herself on the back before going back to musing. Kid's eyes didn't look the way they should've for a boy of his age; just like Sissy, it was obvious he had grown up too fast. Maybe faster than Sissy. They looked like someone had broken a window, shattered it to a million pieces, then precisely and exactly taped them neatly back together. Somehow that was worse than flat out broken. Patty had remembered that while the tape fixed the window in the motel, the cracks were clear as day. There were times when Patty had felt like an animal in the streets, hunting, sleeping wherever, but no longer. _I can be a little girl again… _the prospect dazzled her, almost making her feel light headed. She could fill it all in. The childhood she had always dreamed off… coloring, having stuffed animals… she was Kid's weapon, yes, but that seemed small, tiny compared to what they were being offered. A home, as many meals as they liked, a warm bed, and maybe… Patty's chest spontaneously swelled and shrunk at the same time, the possibility seeming stupid and ridiculous, yet exciting and new… a brother? A touch of guilt made the excitement go away, _We'll never be able to repay him for this... the least I can do is give him a family. Yeah, he's our brother now! _She was at first ecstatic and then she flashed back to Sissy's suspicious glare… _Well, mine anyway… _she shrugged, _I bet Sissy'll learn to see him like that, all she needs is some time. _Her optimistic thoughts flashed back to Kid, with his taped window eyes and mask of a face. An idea came to her head, a wild and crazy one, but this was Patty's head. _I'll get them both to get along! _Her chest puffed up; Sissy gave her love and kept her from starving, Kid gave them both a home and the first good fortune both of them had in years. _I'll give them happiness, _she thought, satisfied.

"PATYY! KID WANTS US!"

Patty turned her head at the voice of her sister, saying in the happiest voice she could,

"OKY DOKY SISSY!"

A rush of satisfaction filled her as she said those words. Yes, her childhood could be hers again, and she definitely wasn't going to waste the chance, she thought, as Sissy stared at her which bemusement.

/\(/*\)/\

Liz thought about it as they flew. Oky doky? Why would Patty say that? And so cheerfully! While Liz held herself a bit back from the resonance, even when she felt the tug, and the fact that all three of their souls were in tune, she could feel Patty trying her all to resonate and be in tune, to the point where Liz felt that Patty was almost right next to her, despite being separate. Liz didn't know why she held herself back a bit. Was she afraid? Did she just not want to give Kid the satisfaction? She didn't really know, but it took all her willpower not to allow the full tuning. But, even if she held herself back, she could still feel it. Patty's happiness, her hope, everything. All she had felt off her in the streets was hunger and malice, but now Patty's soul seemed to have swelled. Liz didn't feel her soul swell, or grow in power. It must have been the resonance, strengthening Patty and putting her in tune with Kid. Patty's happiness and quickness to warm to Kid must have been the explanation for that. _So what about me? Why am I able to be in tune with Kid? Not fully in tune, but like… we're the same… _she felt her soul jolt in surprise. In her thoughts, she had unconsciously allowed herself to slip into the connection. She was able to hear Kid and Patty's thoughts. Kid was thinking the same thing. She felt his surprise as he realized she had slipped into the connection, and she felt the jolt of the connection to him being severed momentarily, feeling it carefully coming back, but she couldn't hear his thoughts anymore; they were sort of muffled._ Hey, this is sort of cool…_ Turning, she focused her attention on Patty, who was talking to Kid through her thoughts as well, and Liz heard her. Patty was happy because… she would be able to make up for her lost childhood? Was that what she was so happy about? _Did Kid give her that chance?_ Another thought surprised Liz. Patty wanted to help Kid? With what? Patty heard her thoughts; she turned and smiled at Liz. Patty's soul was bright pink, a healthy color, and she turned back and started talking to Kid again, who, while she couldn't hear his soul, she felt a muted emotion of surprise coming off him, and had a feeling he might have been talking to Patty. Patty stopped talking, smiling at Kid, and it was obvious after a bit that Kid had fallen silent. It took her a while to realize that she had slipped deeper into the connection, and she was now right next to Patty. She suddenly felt panicked, trying to do what Kid did, but before she could, Patty turned to her and smiled, speaking to her through thought,

"_I asked Kid if he was surprised you came in. He said yeah._" She laughed a little and continued, "_He thinks you don't like him much. He thought it'd take a while to get you to actually let yourself slip in."_

"_Yeah, well tell him that it was an accident anyway. I spaced out._"

Liz thought grudgingly. Patty only laughed, answering cheerfully,

"_Kid can hear you Sissy. He got embarrassed cause you two can relate._"

Liz blinked, surprise, then irritation coursing through her soul, addressing Kid, in the case that what Patty said was true,

"_HEY JERK, IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ MY DAMN THOUGHTS THAN LET ME READ YOURS YOU DAMN SNOOP!_"

She snapped, feeling the connection jolt slightly at her outburst of irritation. She felt Kid's soul hesitate slightly, then reluctantly let himself back into the connection.

"_What were you saying to Patty?!"_

She demanded heatedly. How was he willing to admit that she and him could relate?!

"I was telling her she needed to mind her own business."

Was his curt response; he was talking out loud now. Liz felt like smacking him, but considering the limited space on the board, that might not have been the best of ideas.

"_About what?_"

She demanded. Kid raised an eyebrow, speaking in the same curt tone,

"I refer you to my first answer."

It was strange how Liz reacted, it was an emotion she had never felt before; an urge to strangle him, mixed with a bizarre urge to laugh, and they clashed in Liz's chest, resulting in her merely sniffing and debating in her mind whether to punch him when they got down. Her thoughts were interrupted by Kid's voice, which was tense; his soul had noticeably braced as well.

"We're heading down. Stay in gun form, and stay in the connection. I'll try to channel my soul wavelength into yours. Should something go wrong, I'll make sure you're safe." He turned to look at both of them, eyes narrowed, "Whatever you do, stay in weapon form."

His tone was different somehow. It was tense with anticipation, and he looked like an alley cat about to spring. As they headed down, she realized that the place they were at was not her ideal location. It was all rock, no moss, just rock, and thick mist gathered everywhere like a blanket of clouds.

"_Don't tell me the Kishon is here…_"

"It might be hard to fight without knowing where the Kishin is… and it's pronounced Ki-shin, Elizabeth."

"_Do reapers have a magic ability or whatever that lets them see through fog or something?_"

She inquired further, nervousness taking a slight hold on her, causing the connection to waver slightly. Patty merely laughed,

"_Sissy's scared!_"

She laughed again, causing Liz to get a spark of irritation, biting back a sharp retort in her head.

"I will not let any harm come to you or your sister, I told you before, I can defeat it if something goes wrong. I have faced worse you know."

"_Like wasp witches?_"

"Shut up."

Liz laughed. It was short, and more of a sniff, but she enjoyed the feeling all the same. She didn't know why, but at that second, she felt unexplainable warmth in her, like she was actually being welcomed for once. It faded quickly, but she didn't let go of the feeling of it. Much like getting an annoying song stuck in one's head, she couldn't let go of it, even though she partially wanted too. This boy, blessed by birth, and her and her sister, cursed by birth… she looked up, and was quick enough to see the corner of Kid's mouth twitch; this time, it definitely wasn't her imagination. She couldn't even deny it; she had felt the warm feeling in Kid's soul too, even if it had gone even quicker than hers, not faded, but stomped, as if Kid purposely snuffed it out.

"_Death walks alone. I am Death's heir. I need nobody."_

The chilled words ran through her head again. _Geez, at least I had Patty…_

"I need no pity."

_Pity?! Was he getting that? Am I feeling pity for him? …_ Liz winced, but at the same time, an idea struck her, and she allowed herself as deep into the connection as she could go, searching Kid's soul. She sensed confusion at her actions, annoyance at her reluctance to fully connect… then… something unexpected happened. Something flashed before her eyes, an image, but before she could take it in she felt a huge jolt as she was shoved out of Kid's soul. She expected anger or at least annoyance, instead she got coldness,

"I have had the decency so far to keep out of your soul. I know this doesn't come naturally to you, but please mind your own space."

Liz felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She didn't know why, but something in that remark made her soul shudder; perhaps it was how cold he had sounded, paired with the seeming emotionlessness of his soul. Something told her, that beyond the soul's barrier, she had really made him mad. She had only meant to push his buttons a little, maybe find something embarrassing to get back at him with, but she had overshot, and crossed some kind of line that she could tell even Kid didn't go too.

"_He's hurting real bad."_

Those four words uttered from Patty rang through her head again. Something had happened there, she thought as she looked at Kid. He looked almost sick to his stomach as he landed that skateboard… Belzabuub or whatever he called it. _I'll think on this later…_ she thought, looking at Kid. She didn't know why, but she instinctively changed the subject,

"_So… where is the… Kishin?_"

"Close. Ready yourselves…"

Liz saw the barrier around Kid's soul go down slightly, letting her read his emotions again, although not as clearly. She got something like unease, although it was hard to read through the tension. Warily, Kid stepped off the skateboard, stepping lightly. Even Patty, she could tell, was tensed, flashing her reflection in the gun to keep a lookout. Liz tried to keep the connection, remembering how serious Kid sounded when he told them too. Liz hoped their lives didn't depend on it… her concerns cut off as Kid tensed, sending a message to both of them through his mind. _It's here._ Liz stiffened, looking at where Kid was, and she let out a gasp, Patty gaping beside her. The… thing, looked almost like a normal man, dressed in clothes, the build roughly the same, but the comparison stopped there. He was huge and not just tall human huge. At least ten feet tall, with a gigantic metal bar in his hand and a metal mask on his face, he was everything Liz pictured as those crazy serial killers she had heard about. _Wait a minute… that… that's no mask! DAMN IT THAT'S HIS FACE! _She half panicked, the connection weakening noticeably.

"_Keep calm Elizabeth. I will not let any harm come to you or your sister._"

She didn't know why, but Kid's voice steadied her; it sounded more confident than normal. She didn't have time to think about it; whatever it was calmed them with a guttural growl, bar raised. Next thing she knew, she felt a spinning sensation, and they were behind the creature, Kid kicking the thing to the ground and raising the two while it was slightly dazed.

"_Elizabeth. Patty. I'm going to try to channel my wavelength through you. I need both your cooperation._"

"'_Kay!_"

She felt Patty attempting to resonate with Kid, and, after hesitating, she reluctantly let the wavelength be channeled through her. She didn't like it, but she'd rather not wind up flattened. She felt something like a shock go through her as Kid pulled the trigger, gasping. The wavelength shot from her dispersed; she had not been able to compress it from the shock of the feeling. Patty's shot looked like a bullet, knocking the thing back, but not doing much damage. She was about to brace herself, when she noticed something…

"_Kid! You don't pull the trigger with your pinkies, dummy!_"

She yelled irately. Kid's reaction was merely indifference,

"_It's more comfortable this way._"

Liz was about to snap for him to hold her and Patty right when she noticed it charging them again, yelling out,

"_Whatever, I'll show you how when we get back!_"

She was cut off when the thing swung at them from the side, expecting Kid to be knocked aside like a fly, but instead she felt herself in Kid's grasp, leaping backward while shooting. Liz barely had time to brace herself before the wavelength jolted through her, desperately pitching it at that… whatever it was the way she did whenever Patty was firing her; anything to kill that damn thing! This time, the wavelength stayed compressed, Patty's alongside it. They both hit that… metal-head square in the chest, this time making it stumble slightly, even though Liz's wavelength was noticeably much weaker than Patty's. She couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride at being able to compress the wavelength, smirking slightly, Patty grinning like a maniac, shouting,

"_YEAH, YEAH, DIE YA STUPID GIANT THING!_"

She felt the wavelengths being shot through her, one after the other, and she felt herself quickly getting used to the feeling, although she couldn't always keep them all decently compressed what with how fast that guy was firing. She had to admit, he was quite a good shot, even with his weird way of holding them upside-down. Kid landed, skidding backwards slightly and dodging remarkably quickly, with seemingly no effort at all. _I can see how he beat those goons so fast…_ she thought as he jammed both Patty and her at its throat, forcing its head up.

"_Give it all you got on this one._"

Liz didn't necessarily like being ordered, but there was no better opportunity for a kill shot, and she didn't feel like looking at that thing any longer. She felt his wavelength go through her, and she forced it out through her as hard as she could, feeling Patty doing the same. This time, the jolt didn't hurt, it felt like more of a quick shudder, and a feeling of accomplishment rushed through her without her permission as the thing's head exploded. Liz expected to see a gush of blood, but instead, its head exploded in a shadowy energy, the rest of it almost looking like it was unraveling. As the shadowy tendrils unwound and dissipated, a small red floating ball came into view, floating at eye-level of Kid.

"_Kid? What's that red thingy? Do we play with it?_"

Came Patty's cheerful voice. Liz looked up, and was slightly surprised to see a small smile on Kid's face as well, a satisfied smile. He spoke out loud,

"It's a Kishin Egg. You and Liz did well; I didn't expect you two to channel my wavelength so easily…"

He seemed to be speaking to Liz more than Patty. Liz merely huffed, going back to her moody self, even though she still couldn't keep that little feeling of pride from entering her chest,

"_You act like we've never shot each other before… you saw us shoot yourself didn't you?_"

"Firsthand."

Liz chuckled. She couldn't help herself; she was starting to feel light-headed with relief and giddiness, half from finally killing that thing, half because she was just plain dazed from the effort it took to pitch that kid's wavelengths.

"_Sissy's tired._"

Patty giggled weakly, giving birth to a yawn; she looked just as tuckered out as Liz.

"You both, I'll fly you back to the mansion. Get some rest; we'll try at a soul link when you're ready…"

"_Desperation does wonders on how much of a jerk I think you are._"

Liz mumbled, sighing and relaxing into the link. She didn't really care about not showing weakness or any of that crap; she felt like she wanted to pass out. Patty seemed to feel the same way, sighing and merging their souls into the full connection just for support. If Kid was tired, he didn't show it; he was tense throughout the full ride to his mansion.

"_No._"

Liz's soul woke up slightly, listening to Kid's thought,

"_Huh?_"

"_It's your home now, should you decide to stay. It's not just mine anymore._"

"_Huh. You take a friendly pill or something brat?_"

Liz wasn't really in the mood to talk, but it was weird at the spoiled brat's attitude change.

"_I'm not being friendly. I'm stating a fact._"

Liz was too tired to be surprised, but she smiled a little. _Patty and I have a home now huh?_

"_Should you decide to stay…"_

So he had guessed. Was she really that readable? She had been sure that she was leaving, but now she wondered. _Patty seems so happy with Kid… she wants to help him… whatever he needs help with…_ she stared at Kid, who's eyes were fixed ahead. She and Patty weren't homeless anymore, she realized. It had crossed her mind, but she had figured she would make off with what she could and never see the brat again. Then what? Back to poverty? Stolen money wouldn't last them forever, it wouldn't pay rent constantly. The home was theirs, he said. Patty was happy. Patty was happy, she had somewhere to live, and she didn't seem intent on leaving at all. Did that mean Liz was staying too? To have an actual home…

_To be… happy?_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Update came out later than I wanted, internet crashed so I couldn't upload. Next upload will be even sooner, I pinkie promise! Enough of me, enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: The Pain of a Reaper**

Kid was, honest to God, surprised. He hadn't expected the girls, the infamous Devils of Brooklyn, to channel his wavelength so easily, much less be able to actually kill the thing. Granted, it was a level one Kishin, and a weak one at that, but it still was fairly impressive that they were able to channel his Shinigami wavelength, even if he had contained his wavelength a little so it'd be easier for the sisters. For a first time, they had an astonishingly stable connection, a few jolts occasionally, but otherwise shocking as a first try. He knew he was perfectly willing to resonate, and Patty was connecting to him using her admiration and gratitude… _but what's making Elizabeth resonate with me so easily?_ Definitely not gratitude, admiration was out of the question, she didn't even seem to be trying to resonate, the link merely pulled them together for some reason. _I'll look this up… maybe Dr. Stein will know something about this… _Personally though, he hoped his answer was in the books. Dr. Stein was trustworthy and all, but Kid just couldn't stand looking at that asymmetrical mess of a man, not to mention his bizarre fixation of dissecting everything in sight. Honestly, Kid didn't understand how on earth _anyone_ put up with him, but he was there, his father wouldn't hear a word against him, and he was reasonably knowledgeable, so there was no point in wasting such a convenient source of information. All the same, Kid hoped he got the answer in his books. Smirking to himself, he turned his attentions to the girls. Both were fully relaxed in the link, even Elizabeth, who had apparently given up her little rebellious streak for the moment. _She must be pretty tired… _Kid chuckled inwardly at the older Thompson sister's stubborn refusal to accept him as not just some rich brat who had never known hardship in his life, or, it seemed that she had shifted her focus to never being refused anything. _Wonder how I can be refused anything if I've never asked for it. _Sighing, he sped up, the manor coming into view, feeling the wind fly past his face, probably making his hair asymmetrical... he shoved the thought away, focusing his attention on staying on the skateboard. Beelzebub was his equivalent of his father's Shinigami Jets; Shinigamis could fly on anything as they pleased, but apparently his father preferred the jets, as Kid preferred his skateboard. Kid was determined to do things differently, to get it through that he was not his father, but he had to face it; Beelzebub was just plain convenient. His thoughts were interrupted as he felt Elizabeth stir in the link. Technically you can't sleep while in weapon form without being reverted back to human like being knocked out, but it was possible to enter a sort of meditative state while in tune with a meister, the meister's soul keeping one in weapon form while they completely relaxed. It was a little like sleeping, but more of retreating inside one's soul. Normally it was used in order to prepare for complete, full resonances, but Kid supposed it could be used to relax too. The manor was coming rapidly into view, so he gave the link a quick jolt in order to wake the girls up.

"_What is it!? Is it another Ki-shun?_"

Kid had to smirk at Liz's alarmed tone at the jolt. Her soul wavelength was panicked, causing more jolts in the link.

"Relax Elizabeth, we are near the manor, I wanted to wake you and your sister up ahead of time."

"_Sissy's being a big scaredy cat!_"

Patty yelled, sounding almost triumphant for some reason, Liz's wavelengths spiking annoyance,

"_Well excuse me for not wanting my damn head ripped off!_"

Patty only proceeded to giggle, which Kid found unusual, finding nothing funny about the situation. If anything, Elizabeth's caution should be admired, as it might serve them well sometime in the future. He landed the skateboard right at the doorway, the two girls transforming back to human form the moment he hit the ground, Elizabeth stretching and Patty cracking her neck from side to side. He exhaled through his nose, retracting Beelzebub back into his hand and resting both his hands in his pockets, nudging open the door with his foot.

"You two get some rest, get something to eat if you'd like. I'd like to try for a real soul connection soon."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, her shoulders slumped,

"Real eager to get this thing done aren't you?"

Kid merely continued to walk, not put-off at all as he strolled down the corridor,

"I simply need to get in tune with you both. That way, next time you will not be so drained after battle when I channel my soul wavelength."

Elizabeth sniffed, putting her hands behind her head and looking haughty,

"I wasn't drained _that_ much. It was a little tiring." She took her arms down and crossed them, looking indifferent, changing the subject, "So what's for lunch?"

Kid blinked, not expecting the question. Why was she asking him? Was she asking him to make her lunch? Was she inviting him to join her and Patty? If so why? Was this an attempt at conversation?

Kid decided she just meant what was available to eat, and answered in a steady voice,

"There is bread in the cupboard, bologna, some tomato, lettuce, and…" he tried to remember everything, "Turkey in the fridge, and there's some soup in the cupboard too."

Elizabeth blinked, than opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted by a giggle from Patty, who started repeated in a sing-song voice,

"BOLOGNA, BOLOGNA, BOLOGNA!"

She continued to laugh about it, then raced into the kitchen where Kid imagined she'd get some bologna. Kid stared after her for a second, completely lost for words, turning to Elizabeth when he finally remembered that he could form intelligible speech,

"So… what would you like?"

Liz started; she was still staring after Patty. She turned to him, looking startled,

"Huh? Oh… I guess turkey or something…"

She walked off after Patty, Kid heading towards his library.

"Hey Kid-kun!" He turned to see Patty waving some of the lunch meat from the dining room door, "You gonna' eat with Sissy and me?"

"No thank you, I'm not hungry."

He turned again, but didn't get one step before another voice called out snidely,

"No wonder you're so scrawny! Do you ever eat?!"

He turned, opening his mouth to give Elizabeth the explanation that he didn't need to eat unless absolutely necessary, but Elizabeth interrupted him loudly,

"Stop! I don't want to hear it! Lemme' guess: some crap about being a Death God or whatever?"

"Yes, as you so delicately put it… 'some crap about being a Death God'… I suppose it could be summed up like that…"

Kid raised his eyebrows and turned back again. He was at the library door when he heard another shout,

"You know if you lived on the streets this would be a blessing from God to you… though I guess you can't get any blessings since you are God…"

Kid paused in the doorway, but he didn't answer back, instead entering the library and pulling the door shut behind him. He had more important things to do than argue with Elizabeth. Sighing, he observed the rows and rows of books, walking down the aisles with his hands in his pockets. _S section, Souls… _he told one hand out of his pocket, running his pointer finger along the lines and lines of books. _Souls, soul connections… Ah! _He thought triumphantly as his finger came to rest on a rather thick volume. **"The Wild Nature of Souls and Links between Them"**, it read. Kid had never bothered to look at the book, he had never really seen the need, but now he was thankful he had it so he wouldn't have to go see that mess of a madman, Stein. Taking it out and making sure to organize the books so they looked symmetrical after he took it, he opened the book to the index, examining each category. _Connections, consumption, cautions, care… _he allowed his eyes to travel to the _S_ section. _Souls, soul types…_ _R: rarities… page 257._ He felt himself twitch, his insides jerking upwards violently, twisting inside of him like they had a will of their own, his vision blurring, smearing everything for a second. _8, 8, I saw 8…_ he thought desperately as a wave of nausea took him. Why was he so sensitive to these things, he was a Reaper, he could handle- he covered his mouth to prevent a retch. _Think of symmetrical things, come on… this is important…_ he slid to the floor in a sitting position, eyes squeezed shut. Desperately, he opened them, flipping to page 258, staring at the eight then turning a page backwards, avoiding looking at the number. The nausea passed, and he could see straight again. He couldn't help his thoughts from flashing back to how quickly he was able to get over it when the sisters had been there; he hadn't been affected as strongly as he normally would have. His reactions had been getting steadily worse, more frequent and over small things as of late. _Maybe there're pills that can ease it up…_ he mused, pondering for a second before examining the page.

_While there are common forms of soul links, there are also very uncommon forms of connections used by meisters of considerable skill. A quite uncommon connection is three or more souls in perfect tune, which may be achieved through years of practice and spiritual training. In some cases, a weapon and meister may be what are often identified as "kindred spirits", two souls which are similar in circumstances or personality. In the event of this the kindred spirits will be automatically pulled towards the similar soul._

Kid stopped reading, focusing on that one paragraph, momentarily forgetting his steadily worsening reactions. Kindred spirits… was that it? Could they be similar in circumstance? Could Elizabeth have… the memory flashed before his eyes, churning his insides like a horrible, disgusting stew, making him glad he was on the ground. Did Elizabeth go through that? It'd explain her distrust… he couldn't know, and he couldn't just flat out ask her. He imagined if someone flat out asked him, and pair that with Elizabeth's temper... it wouldn't turn out well. Maybe he could be more subtle, but he wasn't really good at charisma, it just wasn't natural to him! He felt himself getting angry, and he struggled to keep it down in his throat, his chest feeling like it may implode on him. Forcing his mind to be calm, he stood, the nausea only leaving a faint pulse in his stomach as he forced himself to be balanced. He had to find out if Elizabeth… was like him. He had to understand why the link pulled them together; it just didn't make any sense! They were different in every way, he was calm and collected, while she was rash and impulsive, he was blessed by birth, she cursed, she hated him, and yet… they were similar, as the book had described them. And he really did want to trust Elizabeth, for her to trust him. His mind shot back, to when they both shared that slight feeling of warmth. He couldn't stop it, and even though he had quickly stomped it out, he knew he wanted to feel it again, no matter how much he crushed it. Perhaps he could be a bit friendlier with the sisters. Patty seemed to be warming up quickly, he could at least be a tad more open towards them in terms of sociality, after all they had only each other all their lives, and he had no one. _I'm not Death yet, and there's no harm in being pleasant to others when they're pleasant to you…_ In the meantime, he'd have to find more out about Elizabeth, if they were… similar in circumstances… _How?_ He asked himself.

_Why do I care so much?_

/\(/*\)/\

Liz finished the last of the turkey sandwich, Patty eating slice after slice of the bologna. Liz smiled to herself, watching Patty eat so much and not have stolen it. Here they both were, one day living on the streets, the next eating sandwich meat in a giant mansion. Her thoughts rang back to Kid refusing to eat with them. She shoved the last piece of sandwich in her mouth, chewing angrily. Refusing to eat. He should be grateful he lived a life of luxury, away from all the danger and police. _Well, except Ki… Kishins… what's with his dad sending him on missions that nearly get him gored? And for peanuts!_ At least she and Patty didn't have to deal with things like… whatever it was they battled. Liz shuddered. She knew they wouldn't be able to cope if they had to face things like that, it would have snapped her neck in an instant. Especially if Kid was fighting it, and based on how easily he had beaten those thugs... she didn't finish the thought. She tried to get the image out of her mind, instead focusing on Patty. She seemed so happy, behaving so blissfully, something she had not seen in the streets. She skipped, hummed to herself, laughed at everything so far… Liz had never seen Patty just so carefree, as if she had been released from some terrible burden. In a way, she had. _Was Kid the one who freed her?_ Had Kid offered release from the nightmare of their lives? Was Liz just denying it? She stared at Patty, remembering her offer to help Kid. From what? What did Kid need help with? He was just some rich brat who ran errands for his father… why did he never mention his mother? It was as if he just had no mother, he never even brought her up once. Was she working all the time? Was she divorced? Could the Grim Reaper get married? Liz nearly laughed at the bizarre turn her thoughts started to take, focusing on Patty again. Sighing, she felt the best way to find out was to ask. Patty had no reason to lie to her, and she certainly wouldn't be angry at her sister's curiosity. She wiped a few sandwich crumbs from her new shirt, addressing Patty as casually as she could,

"Hey… Patty? What did you want to help Kid with?"

Patty looked up in surprise, bologna half-way to her mouth. _Well, so much for subtlety…_ Liz winced, not meaning to sound so blunt. She half expected Patty to ignore the question, but to her surprise, Patty stuffed the slice of bologna down her throat and answered Liz in a thoughtful, yet light tone,

"Kid-kun's done a lot for us Sissy. He made Patty happy, and Sissy will be happy soon too I think." She ate another slice, although Liz felt it might have been to stall for time, "Then Kid-kun'll be the only one who's sad, and Patty doesn't want that, so Patty wants to help Kid-kun be happy too!"

She smiled, as if that cleared everything up, and went back to her bologna. Liz felt dumbfounded, and overwhelmed. Patty thought Liz would be happy as well. Liz Thompson? Happy? After all that hell on the streets, could she be content now? She stared at Patty. What made her so different from her little sister, that she couldn't just accept good fortune? Had life on the streets hardened her mind to such things? She took a sip of the soda she found in the fridge. She had figured Kid wouldn't mind so much, he barely seemed to eat or drink anyway. Patty had looked up from her lunch, and her face practically lit up at something behind Liz. Liz didn't need to guess what it was, but she turned all the same. Patty bounced up and down in the chair,

"Is Kid-kun going to eat now?"

He shook his head slightly, sitting at the head of the table looking deep in thought. Liz blinked, staring at him. What went through this guy's head? Did he think like she and Patty, or any human being did, or was it completely alien inside that Shinigami brain of his, beyond any human concept? Did he have any grasp of normal customs? _Well, he knew about breakfast and lunch…_ she smirked slightly, deciding to both try to sake her suspicions and tease the little punk at the same time

"Hey brat! What'cha thinking about?"

She smirked, slouching in her seat just for effect (her fingers twitched for something to smoke,_ anything_). Kid started violently, which nearly made Liz jump too, and looked at Liz in surprise,

"What?"

Liz snickered at the look of utter bewilderment on Kid's face, speaking in a snide tone,

"I asked you what you were thinking about."

Kid stared for a moment, before speaking in a perfectly blank voice,

"Things I may need to do." He stood, straightening his weird suit, and to her surprise, he smiled. It looked slightly strained, but it smiled a shade more genuine than his smirks, "You and Patty did very well against the Kishin. I was impressed."

Liz blinked. Her first reaction was surprised. The Shinigami was actually making an attempt to be friendly, or was this a lead into something? She narrowed her eyes, speaking carefully,

"Errm… thanks…"

Kid made a half-hearted smile again, before quickly dropping it and flicking his eyes away, going back to his blank face,

"Are you and your sister ready to attempt a full connection?"

Liz was going to protest that she had not had her shower, but Patty bounced up before she could,

"Yeah, we're ready."

Kid cast a quizzical look at Liz, who sighed inwardly at Patty's eagerness,

"I'm good…"

She rolled her eyes._ Probably trying to butter me up 'cause he thought I wouldn't do it. Brat… _She thought, going after Kid, who explained what a true soul connection was,

"In order for us to really connect and get a stable link, we have to try to attach to achieve a spiritual bond. In order for souls to achieve that, we must allow each other into our souls."

Liz stiffened, stopping abruptly, and holding up her hands,

"Hey! Whoa, did I just hear you right?" Kid turned to her, confused as she continued, "You're telling us to just… let each other in? No secrets?"

She raised her eyebrows. Even that Shinigami brat had secrets of his own, he could understand privacy. She hoped. Kid merely chuckled drily, turning back to walk again,

"I don't mean in the way you did to me." He gave her a pointed look, "We need to find a middle ground between souls where we can meet up."

Liz exhaled, feeling more than a little relieved. She hardly wanted the little creep knowing about her inner conflicts, much less her confusion on her own emotions. He thoughts again snaked themselves to that friendly smile, how genuine and welcoming it had been. He really did want them to come with him, and they had come. Help him kill those… Ki-whatsits, and in exchange live the life they had always dreamed of, but thought would never have. _We… owe him…_ Liz realized, partially regretting coming to this realization. She couldn't get it out of her head now; he had given them more than they could repay him. Ever. Liz shuddered. Somehow it felt worse than getting in debt with that mafia, and she suddenly understood why. Kid would never ask for repayment. He'd just let them live their new lives, in the lap of luxury, for the price of helping him kill some freaks. He didn't think they owed him. Liz felt an invisible hand yank at her insides. He had even tried to be thoughtful. She didn't realize they were already out of the mansion until she heard her shoes click against the pavement, looking down in surprise. Kid was standing still, holding out his hands,

"Elizabeth, Patty, I need you to transform."

"Oki!"

A pink blow engulfed Patty's body and she shot into Kid's hand. Kid looked at Liz expectantly,

"Elizabeth?"

"Oh! Right…"

Liz felt the glow engulf her as well, morphing her into the pistol. Kid held them both, retreating into a cross-legged position.

"_Elizabeth, Patty, I can feel both your souls, I will attempt to go to Patty first, as it will be easier to connect too. Elizabeth, come towards both of us, don't make any sudden spasms. I'd rather not wind up with a rebound; they're quite painful, even for me._"

Liz didn't want to think about what it would feel like if it caused Kid pain, and she felt Kid retreat into his soul, reaching towards Patty. Liz stayed were she was, feeling the two connect. It was a strange feeling; she could tell that Kid was trying his hardest to keep them together, and yet it was a strong link. She felt Kid reach for her, his soul nearing hers. She didn't really know how it worked, so she slowly let her soul go towards his, remembering his instructions. She felt their souls join, Patty's, Kid's, and Liz's souls connecting for one moment almost too full connection…then, something happened. Liz didn't mean too. She didn't know what prompted her to do it, but an overpowering urge to move forward took her, and she jolted forward, ignoring Kid and Patty's alarm. She kept going, and then, she saw something, recognizing it immediately. The image. The same one she saw earlier, flashing into view, only this time, she caught a better look. Red everywhere, a woman, a boy next to her, utter terror-

She was torn from the image, in her pistol form again, and suddenly, she felt a massive blast as her very soul turned inside out and back again at the same moment, throwing her into human form and pitching her ten feet away, Patty flying opposite of her as they landed back first. Liz couldn't breathe, she felt a massive weight on her chest and her thoughts flew: broken backs, punctured lungs, and then, she gasped, coughing violently and clutching her stomach. She lay there panting for a few seconds, and she was vaguely aware of Patty standing over her, asking frantically if she was alright. Evidently, Patty got the least of it. Liz stood up, and instinctively, looked around for Kid, her heart stopping when she saw him. He was lying in a crumpled, quivering heap on the ground, curled in a fetal position with his hair obscuring his face. Liz didn't know what prompted her to do it, but she stumbled over, ignoring her breathlessness, crouching beside Kid with Patty close at her heels, doing the same.

"Hey…" Liz shook him gently, "Hey… Kid?"

Kid twitched slightly, before turning to look at her, the expression in his eyes and face tearing her heart out of her with the devil himself's claw. It was expression of a lost child, who had been betrayed by someone they thought might have been good to them. Nothing like the blank mask he wore, he looked vulnerable, shaking as he spoke, voice barely audible,

"_I was starting to trust you_." He shuddered as he got up, still looking at Liz full of that horrible treachery, "_You..._"

He trailed off, saying nothing else, just turning his back and walking back into the house, his shoulders slumped as he numbly pushed open the doors. Liz opened her mouth, but no noise came out. It was as if someone had plunged a cork down her throat, muting her forever. He might as well have stabbed her in the throat with a blunt blade and left her to choke on her own blood; it would have been infinitely less painful. The thing that pushed her over the edge, pulling every part of her apart slowly and agonizingly… he didn't shut them out. He left the doors open behind him, and didn't object to Patty coming back in, staring at her sister full of disbelief and shame. _He was letting them back in._ Not even yelling, or shutting them out for at least a little bit. He just went back in, and left the doors open for both of them. Liz could hardly stop herself from shivering, from bursting into tears.

"_I was starting to trust you."_

Even though she had already done it before, he hadn't given up hope, he had continued to try to gain her trust. Her thoughts ran back to the small compliment he gave to Liz at lunch. He _was _trying to be friendly, in his own way, and she had just brushed it off as futile manipulation. She felt frozen on her feet, barely aware that she was walking. She wanted to run after him, to tell him she didn't mean to, to say sorry… but she couldn't. She had stolen, mugged, dodged the gangs, but she couldn't even apologize. Patty was still looking at her in shock, like she couldn't believe Liz, her older sister, had done that. Unable to take it, she grabbed Patty, hugging her tightly.

"Patty." She whispered, as her sister slowly put her arms around her in turn, "I didn't mean too, I really didn't."

She held her tighter, as Patty said back uncertainly,

"Patty thinks she believes you Sissy… Patty…" She faltered, "Patty doesn't want to believe Sissy would hurt Kid like that…"

Liz released Patty, sighing. Patty looked saddened, and it was Liz's fault. Not Kid's, but Liz's. Liz knew what she had to do now. Giving Patty another look, she left for the bedroom where Kid let them keep their stuff.

/\(/*\)/\

Patty wanted to believe her sister, she really did. If she knew Sissy, Sissy would never, never hurt something on purpose out of malice, she was certain, as she sat down and drew invisible doodles on the floor. She just wasn't like that. She may have been distrustful, but she was not cruel by any stretch of the imagination. Still, it made her depressed at how betrayed Kid looked. He obviously didn't know Sissy well enough to know she wouldn't hurt him on purpose, and that paired with his effort to be friendly being brushed off, it was undeniable that he would retreat back to his emotionless, blank self. Her suspicions were confirmed as she drew a line, for Kid had come down, his face blank, but his eyes as taped up as ever. Kid blinked in surprise at Patty sitting on the floor, coming up to her and addressing her in a plain voice,

"Patty, where's Elizabeth?"

"She went upstairs." Patty said quietly, unable to keep the question from popping out of her lips, "Are you gonna' kick Sissy out?"

Kid's expression didn't change, answering simply,

"Of course not. I invited you to live with me; to kick you out would be rude. But, I think we may need a little break from practice, at least until I'm able to set up a more stable connection."

He smirked slightly, obviously trying to make Patty feel a bit better, when all it really did was make her sadder. She hated to see Kid so guarded, and if Sissy wasn't going to tell him, she would,

"Sissy didn't mean to Kid. She's not like that, it was an accident."

She heard the plea in her own voice, trying to apologize for Sissy; however, Kid's expression didn't change,

"Patty, it's fine. It's only natural that she is distrustful of me; I bear no grudge against her whatsoever."

He smiled again, although it was false as ever, and he went into the kitchen,

"I think we all need a break, I'll make dinner for you two. Go to bed early, we'll get a fresh start tomorrow."

Patty wasn't reassured; that wasn't the source of the problem and Kid knew it. She continued to doodle on the ground, focusing on how she's help Kid; she went through all the methods she knew, and based off of how Kid was, none of them worked. Before she knew it Kid was tapping her to get to the table and going upstairs to get Sissy. Patty sat at the table numbly. The table was set for only two; each across from each other. Her eyes welled up with tears. She wanted Kid to be their brother, for them both to be happy. How could she accomplish that if he refused to accept that he _could_ be happy?

/\(/*\)/\

Liz had spent a good long time in the shower, trying her hardest to wash off what a horrible person she was. It was no use; she still felt horrible and polluted by the time she was done. She had made her plans, and no one would know until she was gone. She would pack so Kid wouldn't suspect anything, and Patty might be sad, but she'd know it was for her own good. She lay face up on the bed in a purple top she had gotten, with black pants. Her feet were bare and she shifted onto her side, ignoring it when she heard a knock on the door.

"Liz?" A blank voice said from behind it. _Kid_, she thought, _Probably coming to kick me out…_, "I made you and Patty dinner. If you're hungry it's in the dining room."

Liz felt like puking, curling into a ball. He made them dinner. _Dinner_. She had just caused a massive rebound that he took the front blast of, and he made them dinner. She almost wished he had yelled at her, even said something like when she had done it the first time, but no. He just fixed her and Patty a meal, and walked off. Miserable, she tried to distract herself so she wouldn't melt like the witch she was. The image. She was ashamed, but she examined it in her mind. Blood everywhere, the child, and the woman. The woman had been twisted at an odd angle, the blood only could have been hers, and every part of her drenched in it like something had doused her in red paint. Liz shuddered. The child had been curled up in a sitting position next to her, tears streaming from his eyes. Two things she was certain of. One, the woman was someone the child cared about more than anything.

Two…

…_that child had been Kid_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mirror, Mirror**

Liz slowly slid from under the covers, her stomach churning in anxiety and shame as she put a hand under the bed for her bag. Patty didn't stir; she could sleep through the apocalypse, but Liz was still careful as she slipped on her boots. The bag wasn't that heavy, Liz had only packed the clothes she had bought, and she slipped it over her shoulder carefully, making sure not to make any noise as she crept out of the large, skull filled room. It was completely quiet, the only noise being the pound of Liz's heart as she slunk out, terrified of someone, but who, prepared to run for her life from something, but what? She put a hand to her chest despite herself, trying to mute the sound of her thrashing heart lest the whole house shake with its noise. It was a ridiculous worry, childish, but she couldn't stop herself. The pulse shook her whole body, making her quake and blood pound in her ears. She didn't want to leave Patty, she didn't want to leave the house, but she had too. Kid had tried to accept her, be kind to her, _trusted_ her, and she had spurned his attempts to gain her own trust. Even Patty was disappointed in her; she had seen it, the disbelief as Kid slunk back into the house that afternoon, the shock that her sister could do that. Kid would never believe her if she said she didn't mean it… no, he'd just plaster that false smile on his face and pretend everything was fine.

"_He's hurting real bad…"_

Liz gritted her teeth as she approached the stairs. She had made it worse, she knew it. They wouldn't even be able to resonate now probably, he'd seal himself off like he had earlier. Liz shuddered. It was all her fault, all of it. Every bit of trouble caused in the house since Liz and Patty moved in was her responsibility, her mistrust of him, her reluctance to resonate, even him retreating back into that mask was her fault! _Hopeless…_ Elizabeth Thompson was born on the streets, and that was where she would stay. She stepped down, resting her foot on the stair to test its weight. The noise that she heard would cause a shudder to run down her spine every time she remembered it.

It was a massive shattering of glass, not just the breaking of a dropped cup, but a terrible, ear splintering sound of a thousand horrible fragments. Liz jumped, grabbing the banister to keep herself from toppling down the stairs. Her shaking had reached a violent level, and she could barely run to where the sound came from, her legs carrying her there on pure instinct, hardly aware she was sprinting. The sound came from the bathroom, and she slammed the door open, prepared to flee at what it was. Who sat there was more terrifying than any burglar or vandal she could think of.

Kid crouched there on the ground, barefoot in pitch-black pajamas. Around him were tiny shards, large chunks of the mirror, and in his hand, a jagged piece of the shattered glass. His back was turned to Liz, and she could only watch in complete shock as he raised the piece above him, pitching it onto the ground brutally and shattering it into tiny pieces of sharp debris, scattering everywhere. He bent down, picking up another large, pointed piece the size of Liz's forearm. What she did next was impulsive and dangerous, especially considering Kid's state. She bolted forward, grabbing his wrist when it was raised to throw the piece down. She was shaking so hard now she felt as if she would collapse, but she held his wrist, breathing through her teeth to stop herself from sobbing. She was seldom truly horrified, but as she held his wrist, she felt every part of her going into overdrive, only able to keep from screaming by focusing her mind on getting Kid to drop the piece. He slowly turned his eyes to her, and Liz very nearly ran, her legs becoming rubber and barely supporting her. That wasn't Kid. It _was, _but not the Kid she had seen. The Kid she saw was calm, collected, in control. Not this boy in front of her. His eyes were wild, a whirlpool of anger, fear, despair, arm frozen in the position Liz held it in. Liz felt a jolt in her stomach, thousands of hands clawing, grasping, pulling at her insides.

"Kid." She croaked, her voice shaking, pushing past the choking mass in her throat, "Let it go."

Kid showed no sign that he heard her, other than jerking his arm slightly. He wasn't using his full strength, otherwise Liz would have lost her grip in a second, but Liz still had to tighten her grip, her fist numbing at how hard she was holding on. Shivering, terrified of would might happen, she began to slowly move her other hand towards Kid's, him not reacting but confused eyes following her hand with an insane look. Slowly, she touched his cold hand, feeling a chill dart into her skin at the icy touch, and hooked a finger underneath his grasping clutch, starting to pry his hand from the sharp piece of crystalline mirror. He responded by tightening his grip, the yellow whirlpools that were his eyes showing a sign of panic as he opened his mouth, a small noise coming out,

"N…no…"

It came as a whisper, and he intensified his grip even more, causing a small trickle of red blood to slowly slide down the razor-sharp edge, falling onto the fall with the slightest _pip_. Liz only pried harder, hearing the desperation in her own voice as she urged him, begged him,

"Kid, you've got to let go. Let it go Kid!"

She dug her fingers into his taut hold, forcing it with all her strength, gritting her teeth as she strained against his grasp. Slowly, bit-by-bit, she managed to prize it open enough for the piece to fall, slippery with the reaper's blood, onto the floor with the other remains of the mirror. Kid just stood there, shaking for a second, his eyes becoming unfocused and clouded as he watched it fall to the ground, as if he couldn't understand what had just happened. Liz held her breath, her hands and body shaking with apprehension and fear, a bead of sweat traveling down her face. Slowly, he focused, his gaze clearing of the anger and fear, replacing itself with complete and utter shock. He whimpered slightly, and his knees buckled, Liz spontaneously grabbing his shoulders tightly to keep him steady. The afternoon was forgotten for the moment, Liz supporting his small, shaking form as he slowly came to himself. He was lighter than Liz expected, but as both of them were shaking very badly, it was still a little difficult for to keep both of them steady as he swayed, eyes still full of shock, and fell forward, head on her shoulder, body limp. She felt a drip of moistness on her shoulder, and with amazement, she realized he had started to cry. The boy who had suppressed all emotion until then, who thought Liz had betrayed him, was weeping, allowing her to support him after he had lost his mind. She got that he was not shaking from only the shock, but she felt him suppressing sobs now. Slowly, Liz began to speak to him, as she would to a wounded animal, or a frightened child,

"Kid…" She swallowed, trying to get a grip on herself, "Kid… what happened?"

She felt Kid trying to support himself, still shivering, and realized they were still standing on the glass. Even if she was wearing boots, Kid wasn't, and she had to get him off the razor sharp floor. Inhaling deeply, breath still shaking, she moved, trying to support him while at the same time getting them both out of there. Kid apparently had regained enough sense to realize what she was trying to do, and he didn't resist as she put his arm around her shoulder, putting her own under his other arm to give him support. For the first time, she saw him as he truly was: a child with everything he had gone, killing every part of himself that needed any support or love out of sheer desperation. _Like me_, she realized. She had been so caught up in convincing herself she needed nothing but Patty's love, no one else's… but at least she had _someone_! Kid… he pushed out everyone who tried to help him, _period_. She shuddered, trying to imagine her life without Patty, before realizing she _wouldn't _have any life. It was Patty who had given her the will to life, to fight. Without her sister to care for, she's just be some child who had starved out on the streets long ago; unrecognized, unheard of, gone like the smallest raindrop in the ocean. She owed her _life_ to her little sister. Looking at Kid now, she found it hard to imagine that the shuddering boy was the same person as the Death the Kid she had met on the streets, independent, confident, not fearful of any horror the concrete jungle had to offer. _Or are they truly the same people… maybe this was Death the Kid all the time…_ she shifted her grip on him, half carrying him, half supporting him to his room. As she helped him, she focused her breathing, feeling herself calm down, her shaking body stilling, her strength returning to her. Shifting Kid again, she cast a glance on him. She shuddered again at how terrible he looked, head hung, eyes half closed, barely moving his legs to support his own weight. She kept walking at a slow enough pace for Kid, while at the same time keeping him moving, holding his arm around her securely. She approached the door, taking her hand out from under his arm slowly. He shook slightly, falling slack, but picking himself up enough to keep himself from falling flat. She adjusted his arm on her faintly, giving him more support as she turned the doorknob, the door swinging open from the inside. She was actually surprised at what she saw. She had been expecting skulls left and right, black, white, red, obsessive symmetry. It was nothing like she expected at all. The walls were gray, a monotone color the same shade as his voice when he was collected. There was a complete absence of skulls in the room, the rug being pure white with simple red rimming, and no pictures on the walls; the only thing on the walls were two light switches on either side of the door, which probably turned on the large round light dead center of the room. In fact, the only evidence that it was a bedroom was a rectangular bed with black sheets and a white pillow. Sighing quietly, Liz slipped an arm under Kid's again, leading him into the room. The tightness on her lungs had fully retreated, and she was able to breath without shaking now, her heart calm enough that she couldn't hear the noise flooding her ears anymore. She sat Kid down on the bed gently, Kid staring at her as if she was a complete other person. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth, speaking in a husky whisper,

"Why?"

Liz raised her eyebrows, examining his hand. The cut was new, pink skin, and slowly fading to white, but not as quickly as the bruise had healed. _Maybe exhaustion's got something to do with it…_ she thought, before looking at Kid's tired, confused stare, smirking slightly, and making an attempt at feeble sarcasm,

"What, you think I was going to just close the door and let you flip out? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not _that_ much of a heartless monster."

She chuckled weakly, although it was very half-hearted; she was starting to feel the exhaustion close in on her as well. She took another look at Kid. He was less afraid or shocked now, in fact any emotion, even the mask, seemed to have drained out of him, leaving him looking worn, heavy lidded, and completely sapped, with his slumped shoulders, and his curved back struggling to keep him in a sitting position. She rubbed her temples instinctively as a headache began to creep into her skull. _God, I'm more tired than I thought…_

"You… the blast… I thought…"

Kid squeezed his eyes shut, slumping even more as he swayed with exhaustion.

"I didn't really mean too Kid. It wasn't like I meant to cause that explosion." She felt a something clutch her stomach, twisting it inside her, making her voice tighter, "Is that what caused this?"

Kid shook his head, his head bobbing,

"No…"

He didn't get much further; he sighed, slumping forward again. Liz grabbed him by the shoulders, lying him down on the pillow, straightening him on the bed. She'd ask him more about this in the morning; she couldn't leave now, she couldn't run, everything in her mind fighting against it now, telling her she must stay. Carefully, she slipped the black covers from under him, covering him up to his chin, making sure he was completely covered. She had no idea she could be as caring as this to someone other than Patty… it just came out of instinct, making sure he was comfortable, helping him to become sane again… she did it on complete impulse, it confused her, made her wonder about herself, and she had never been one for self reflection. She'd keenly avoided inspecting herself until that moment, at Kid's moment of weakness, she questioned who she would have been had she not have been abandoned. Could she be that person now? Could she be free of the hardened shell the streets had formed around her? She smiled inwardly, staring at the sleeping reaper. _Maybe I can…_

She turned to leave, only to hear a small whisper behind her.

"_I don't want to be alone._"

She turned, staring at Kid, whose eyes were still closed. A smile found its way onto her lips. _He's like me… maybe we can both change too._ So she walked up to the bed, and she sat beside Kid's sleeping form. She sat there until she could hold her eyes open no longer, and her foggy mind was vaguely aware of her head hitting the bed as the tired blackness finally enveloped her as well.

* * *

**A/N: Told you I'd update real soon! Sorry for short chapter, but since I finally finished up with my Mac, I can update more often now! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter; again, constructive criticism, complements, reviews in general I appreciate. See you very soon! **


	7. Chapter 7

**HI! I AM BACK, SORRY FOR LONG DELAY, DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT WRITING THIS CHAPTER! MY WRITING MIGHT BE A BIT SHAKY SO PLEASE DON'T BE TOO HARD ON ME OK? ALSO, I AM BORED SO POST AN OC IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT AND I MIGHT USE IN ANOTHER FANFIC **** ENJOY! **

**Chapter 7: Answers at Last?**

Liz felt the covers before she felt anything, the snug pressure of the blankets surrounding her, making her crave to go back to the blissful darkness of sleep. Then, the nagging little sensation in the back of her head began, like a pinprick, and it didn't even take a second before the memories of last night came flooding back like a windstorm. Liz realized with a start that she could not remember anything after going into Kid's room, her insides clenching into a massive clump and dropping into the farthest part of her. She desperately tried to remember going back to her room, leaving Kid afterwards, but that memory didn't come. She slowly realized whose bed she had fallen asleep in, shooting up like a springboard with horror coursing through her veins. Light had come in from the crack in the door she had left open, and in the light, she saw the young death god sleeping soundly beside her. Liz's head started to ache with anxiety and panic. What would he do if he saw her here? Would he be angry? Would he kick her out? Did he even remember the events of last night? Panicked thoughts raced through her mind like a whirlwind, spinning everything out of control, and she had to gradually force herself to calm down, shoving the choking panic back down her throat. _Relax; he won't be angry, Kid isn't that kind of person… at worst, he'll just ignore it. He'll pretend it didn't happen- _Her thoughts flashed to that horrible blank mask he put on, and she gritted her teeth. No, that was not going to happen. She knew how fragile he was now, and he needed help, whether he wanted it or not. That night, she had realized who he was, what he was, and she was not going to let that slip away again. Elizabeth Thompson had been given another chance; she was going to use it to help them both. Commanding herself to be unperturbed, she examined him, trying to find evidence of stress, of nightmares, anything that evidenced he had had a stressful night. She felt herself relaxing as she searched his face; it was smooth, relaxed, completely tranquil as if last night's events never happened. His multi-colored hair was scattered across the pillow, just the position she had left him, and Liz felt sweet relief bubbling up inside her chest; Kid had slept like a log. She nearly chuckled; some of the hair was in his face, giving him an even younger look that the sleep already gave him. She felt something unfamiliar well up in her, and she didn't even realize her hand had subconsciously reached out to brush some of the hair back until it had just touched his forehead. Alarmed, she snatched back the offending limp, and warmth surged into her face. _No. Elizabeth, you are NOT going down that road. You will be, at most, friends. Good friends. It's not like… I don't…_ She cut off the steadily growing stream of embarrassing thoughts, focusing on the matter at hand, ignoring the sensation that someone had lighten a match under her face. She was Elizabeth Thompson, not some hopeless romantic girl who swooned over boys.

"_A boy who saved you and your sister, gave you a beautiful place to live, made your sister happier than she's every been in her life, and forgave you when you nearly killed him."_

A smug little voice in the back of her head snickered. She decided not to justify it with an answer. Setting her teeth, and looking at Kid the way she did with Patty when she was sick, she decided it would be best to let him sleep, as long at he didn't start having visible nightmares. At the same time, she had a feeling leaving him alone would not be the best of ideas, her thoughts flashing back to last night. No, definitely not a good idea. She sighed inwardly at the only logical option: she'd have to sit here until he woke up. Based on the light, the sun was reasonably up, around seven to eight… she felt a shift beside her, turning around quickly; Kid had turned over, facing the other direction and curling up snuggly. Liz felt a small smile work its way onto her lips; Patty did that sometimes, when they had found a halfway decent motel. Patty… what would have happened to her little sister had they never been together. Starved most likely. Starved or lost her sanity. Was that Kid's fate? To lose his sanity when he had no one to lean on? She felt a twist in her chest as she remembered his attempt at kindness; she and Patty could have helped him, couldn't they? _Maybe we still can_, she thought, a warm feeling radiating through her chest, before feeling it extinguish as the explosion came to mind, her recklessness, Kid's betrayed face. Perhaps if she had actually cooperated, she wouldn't be in this situation, Liz realized. She set her jaw. Whether it was her fault or not, it was destroying him from the inside out, and _she_ would be the one to help him, to pay off the debt she owed to the soul who had saved the only family she had. Liz and Patty… they were his family now. Families helped each other, and she didn't know where his aforementioned "father" was in any of this, but she knew one thing for sure: She was not going to rely on him to help his "son". If Kid had fallen this far without him noticing, he was no help to Kid, and based on his coming at his father's beck and call (she recalled with a grimace the wasp witch incident), he was certainly not a positive side to Kid's life, and therefore out of the question in terms of talking to him to find out anything to help Kid. Then, she realized, wincing, she'd have to get the answers out of him. _Yeah, that should be easy,_ she thought, pulling a face. _Like peeling a turtle._ Getting Kid to spill his emotions. It'd be easier to teach Patty advanced particle physics. At least that had a set outcome. She exhaled forcefully through her nose, trying to calm herself. The first order of business was to get the Reaper to come back out of his shell, which, depending on the effect last night had on him, could be an easy task, or nigh impossible to accomplish. It all depended on whether Kid was willing to confront his moment of weakness. _Remember, he's a child… in a way._ Liz had to admit it; that was stretching the truth a little. He was plenty mature in a lot of ways Liz wasn't, in temper and composure. Than again, those things didn't really matter when one was unstable to the point of having an all out breakdown and smashing a bunch of sharp objects everywhere. She'd rather be sane than mature, she could say that much, and having to get Kid to be both posed a rather large obstacle. _Now, how to go about doing that is the question…_

She stopped, her thought raging to a screeching halt as she became aware of tiny, but shuddering movements behind her. She abruptly turned, and realized with a twist of her guts that Kid was shaking like a leaf. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze,

"Hey. Kid, it's alright, I'm here, I won't hurt you…"

_Ok, maybe not the most uplifting of consolations…_ She held back another wince as she felt him brace.

_Well… I'll find out now…_

/\(/*\)/\

Kid woke up in a vague haze, some part of his body aware he was curled in a ball, the rest feeling as if he was floating through clouds of thick mist. He couldn't think, he couldn't move, and yet a penetrating feeling was lodged in his chest. It took him a second to recognize the feeling as sorrow. He felt his stomach do a backflip and he clenched his fists; sorrow was dangerous. Sorrow made one weak. Desperately, he tried to repress the painful emotion, block it out.

He couldn't. Panic began to spread throughout his limbs, in his veins, pumping in his heart. He couldn't black out the pain anymore. _Why_? He had been blocking it out all these years, why-

Last night. The memories came slowly, but he became aware of what had happened, what he had done. The pain of nausea came up on him, clawing its way up his throat and trying to force itself out through his mouth. He had lost control. What had been tame all those years had broken loose, and he couldn't stop it anymore. _Madness_… he had been aware of it, but he had ignored it all these years, letting it fester and gnaw at him like the foul pestilence it was. And he couldn't stop it now, could he? He began to shiver violently, fear and sickness squeezing his insides and mind. He was going insane, and nothing would be left of him once he was swallowed by the darkness he kept walled up for so long. No, he couldn't, he didn't want to, he was Death, he wasn't supposed to… his mind collapsed in on itself, terror taking a hold on him and reducing him to mental babbling.

He didn't want to be consumed; he didn't wanted to be consumed, _he didn't want to be consumed._

"Hey. Kid, it's alright, I'm here, I won't hurt you."

A warm hand rested on his shoulder and gave a squeeze, quelling the anxiety and horror. He balked at the touch, freezing, every muscle in his body tense.

_That's right._

_She saved you. Elizabeth came to save you…_

He remembered now. The elder Thompson sister had rushed into the bathroom, broke the spell of Madness on him. He remembered her helping him back to his room, putting him to bed, telling him she didn't mean too cause that explosion. Was she lying? No, he knew lies. That wasn't a lie, it couldn't have been. She didn't mean to cause the accident, and then had _saved_ him despite his blame. If she hadn't been there, he would have lost himself, maybe permanently. And she had stayed. The whole night… why? It didn't make since. What had he done for her? Granted, he had let her and her sister stay with him, but that was due payment wasn't it? She didn't… it wasn't…

"Kid?"

Elizabeth's voice was softer now, her hand tightening on her shoulder. Slowly, he turned over to face her, terrified for some unknown reason. When he saw her, he felt like his soul was being torn limp from limp by a thousand clawed hands. She was _concerned_ for him. Why? He couldn't understand, but out of nowhere, a small memory came to mind…

Once, when he was out reaping, an old man was dying of starvation on the streets. He had prepared to reap his soul, when he stopped. Beside him was a young child, a little girl by the looks of her, who wept and clutched his hand like it was the last thing in the world that she could hold on to, begging him not to go. The old man had only smiled, and said that it was his time, and he wasn't afraid. The girl needn't cry for him, he was happy. But the girl had only wept harder, and told him she wanted him to have lived better. Kid had been confused. The girl shouldn't care. She did not know him, she was the daughter of a wealthy family and she had no reason to feel sorrow for the death of one who was of no value to her. Kid had reaped his soul there, collected it, and went on his way. It was of no business of his, he did not need to worry about it.

Now, he looked back, and asked himself at that second,

"_Is that the reason Elizabeth cares?_"

The same reason the little girl had… but this was different. He didn't like Elizabeth looking like that, it was his fault for falling into that phase. She had no reason to feel pain for him, it just wasn't right. So he did the only thing he knew how to do. What humans did when they felt they had wronged someone, as he had wronged Elizabeth.

"I-" his voice's weakness startled him, and he forced it steady, "I apologize Elizabeth. You need not be concerned for me."

He tried at a remorseful look, but the act he had mastered would not come, and all he managed was a sort of half-assed flinch that blatantly spelled out LIE. The concern faded from her face, to his relief, however it was replaced by a frankly evil death-glare, and her hand tightened on her shoulder to the point where it ached a little.

"Don't. Kid, just… no."

Her words were filled with barely restrained fury, and, based on the grip Elizabeth had on his arm, she would have punched him if not for his state. He couldn't absorb this… he had only made her angry. His apology had meant well… but-

"_Ask her_."

He blinked. That was right, the little voice was right. Why _didn't_ he ask her?

"_You're afraid of the answer. Death the Kid, afraid of an answer. Who would have thought?_"

The little voice mocked. He gritted his teeth. Was he? Was he afraid of a few little words? _Yes_. He was. But, he realized, were had fear got him? No, he had to find the reason. It was the only way, he didn't want to be consumed by Madness, he couldn't.

"Why?"

He stopped, his throat clogging everything it could, blockading any noise from passing it. He avoided Elizabeth's eyes, focusing intently on the covers. He didn't want to see her face when he asked. Would she laugh at him? Or be disgusted that he didn't understand what she did? He felt himself grow very cold, even though his body could not technically feel heat or cold.

"I want to help you."

His eyes widened in surprise. He had not been expected that. He had been expecting mocking, or condescending. At least from Elizabeth. But… she wanted to help him? …Like Patty did.

"_Patty's gonna' help Kid, and we're all gonna' be happy, okay?_"

The girl's cheerful voice echoed through his head, from the day before this one, offering to help him on the way to the Kishin. She had wanted to help him too. He hadn't understood then either… she wanted him to be happy. He didn't get it, it didn't make since. He wanted her and Elizabeth to be happy too, but… Elizabeth thought he was a spoiled brat, right? She resented him for everything he had! So why was she trying to help him?

He must have looked troubled, or at least confused, because he heard Elizabeth speak again, this time in a gentle voice, like one would use for a child,

"With humans… we want to help each other. We care for others who need it because…"

Elizabeth trailed off, seeming lost for words, but Kid understood. Of course, he thought, resentment sprouting up inside him; this was _pity_. Pity was the last thing he wanted. _Yes, help the pathetic little boy out because he doesn't understand._ He gritted his teeth, growling,

"I don't want pity…"

He didn't care that his anger was showing; he would never, at any costs take _pity_ from someone. Elizabeth looked at Kid in surprise, then frustration, her voice irritated,

"No! It's not pity… it's… compassion I guess…"

Her words were unsure of themselves, and it didn't make sense. Compassion wasn't the word she meant, he knew that much. So even Elizabeth didn't know it?...

"Kid."

He broke away from his thoughts, looking at Elizabeth this time. Her tone of voice… it was the tone she used when he told her that she loved Patty more than anything… strong, steady. He didn't know what to think of it.

"I'm doing this because you saved Patty and me. Wait!" She interrupted as he opened his mouth to object, "You don't get it Kid! You didn't _just_ save us! You gave us everything we ever wished for in our lives. Patty's childhood. A place to live." Her voice was tight now, as if struggling to hold back tears, the hand not on Kid's shoulder clenched into a fist at her side, "And you… you hardly asked for anything back. What, kill some monsters in exchange for the life you only dreamed of? We _can't_ repay that Kid, life doesn't work that way!"

Kid only stared at her. He didn't understand, it didn't make sense. Why did humans always make things so complex…

"STOP IT!"

He started violently at the yell, completely unprepared for it. Elizabeth had tears in her eyes now, whether tears of anger, sorrow, or frustration, he couldn't say.

"It's not a damn math problem Kid, you can't understand it like that! Just… what did you feel last night?"

The question caught him off guard. He had felt Madness. He was afraid. _Afraid_. Emotions… was that what she was trying to say? To think like that made one weaker, he had always known that much… _But look where that got me._ He thought ruefully. So… was she saying that was the solution? _Humans are so confusing…_

"I was afraid."

He admitted quietly. If it took the truth to understand, he must tell it. It took all his strength to keep his voice steady, and even then, he thought he betrayed some of his sorrow, some of his shame at being weak. Elizabeth sighed, the tension seeming to drain from her body,

"And you wanted it to go away right? I felt like that, but Patty helped me drive it away to protect her." Kid stared, speechless. So… was that why she protected her? A purpose in life… he was Death. That was his purpose… _wasn't it_?

"I want to help you now, because I know what it's like, being afraid like that." Her voice was barely audible, her eyes cast downward, "You saved us, but you're still afraid. You saved Patty…" The sister's voice caught, and she took a deep breath, "Patty helped me out, and you helped Patty. So I'm going to help you escape fear now." She smiled. It was a genuine smile, like she cared. He didn't know why, but Kid liked it.

"Do you understand?"

She tone was encouraging, hopeful. Kid thought for a moment. That fear… yes, he hated it. If Elizabeth found a way out because of Patty, and Elizabeth loved Patty…

_So that is the answer, isn't it._

Yes, it was. What he had forsaken… he had forgotten what it was like to feel that. All he remembered was pain, a thousand weeping, agonized souls screaming in his ears, the bloodied body of the only one who had been willing to love him, wanting to block out the image forever scorched into the depths of his soul...

_But what was before that?_

He clenched his jaw, delving into the full memory of it, finding whatever he could of the tattered, withered memories. They were charred with whatever attempts he made to destroy them completely, but he could discern one thing from the blackened, emaciated remains of his childhood. Warmth. It was like someone had lite a tiny fire in his chest, spreading throughout his limbs, glowing throughout his whole body. No matter how he tried, he, he could never erase that memory. It had been… happy then. It hadn't hurt, and he hadn't had to lock it away. Was that what Elizabeth felt for her younger sister? Was that what could help him? _Could he be helped?_

"_If you want too."_

The voice had taken on a softer tone, and, it might have been a figment of his imagination, but… it was farther away._ If you want too…_

"_Will it make you leave?"_

He asked it. Somehow he knew the answer, even though it did not reply. And he knew the answer to his own question, the one he asked beforehand. He looked up at Elizabeth.

"Yes."

He could be helped. He wanted to.


End file.
